Maldives court annuls results of first round of presidential election

The Maldives Supreme Court on Monday annulled the results of the first round of presidential election which was held on Sept. 7. In the first round of the presidential election, former president Mohammed Nasheed emerged as a winner. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court also ordered a new election on Oct. 20. Nasheed won the first round of presidential election with 45.45 percent of the vote but fell short of the 50 percent required to avoid a run-off. Abdulla Yameen, Nasheed's closest rival, gained 25 percent of the vote. But the Supreme Court later ordered the run-off vote be deferred amid the appeal by Qasim Ibrahim, resort tycoon and the second runner-up in the presidential election. Ibrahim has alleged electoral fraud. International observers monitoring the Maldives presidential election, including those from the United Nations and the Commonwealth, have termed the election as free and fair.