THE opposition leader in the Maldives has won the country’s general election, according to provisional results from the Maldives Election Commission.
Ibrahim Solih claimed victory over President Abdulla Yameen in Male, the capital of the tropical island chain in the Indian Ocean.
Solih said he won with a 16% margin after 92% of the votes were accounted for.
Yameen conceded the loss, saying: “I know I have to step down now.”
Solih’s win was unexpected, with opposition members from the Maldivian Democratic Party fearing Yameen would rig the vote in his favor.
Since his election in 2013, Yameen has cracked down on political dissent, jailing rivals and judges.
The commission’s results show Solih with 134,616 votes and incumbent President Gayoom, Yameen’s half-brother, with 96,132 votes, with a 89.2% voter turnout.
Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed tweeted Solih to congratulate him on his victory. He said: “Congratulations to President Elect [Solih]. You have done an extremely good service to not only to the people of Maldives, but also to freedom loving people everywhere. Democracy is a historical inevitability.”
The commission said the final results will be released within the 7-day window parties have to challenge the results in court.
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