Maldives presidential battle goes to 2nd round

MALE (AFP) - The first-ever democratic presidential battle in the Maldives is to go into a second round after Asia’s longest-serving leader failed to deliver a knock-out blow to his rivals, officials said Thursday.

With most votes from Wednesday’s polls counted, incumbent President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom - who has run the Indian Ocean archipelago unchallenged for 30 years - was ahead with 40per cent, but short of the majority needed to avoid a tough run-off. He will have to face his most outspoken critic - former political prisoner Mohamed “Anni” Nasheed - who was in second place with 25 per cent, election officials said.

Gayoom told reporters that he was “proud” of the result, even though he had predicted a first round win. He said he was in a strong position to win the second round, which must be held within 10 days. But analysts say Gayoom will have a tough time fighting Nasheed in a run-off if supporters of the other opposition candidates rally behind the one-time Amnesty International “prisoner of conscience.”

Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) was also upbeat on his chances.