Mr Waheed is also standing - along with tourism tycoon Gasim Ibrahim and Abdulla Yameen, the half-brother of long-time Maldivian autocrat Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. The Maldives, which comprises more than 1,000 islands and has a population of about 350,000 Muslims, held its first free elections in 2008 after three decades of autocratic rule by Mr Gayoom. If none of Saturdays candidates wins an outright majority, a run-off vote between the top two contenders is scheduled for September 28. Mr Yameen, who is seen as the main challenger to Nasheed, called it a watershed election as he voted near the university, wearing a shirt and tie and large sunglasses. Things have gone so wrong the last four to five years. It is absolutely imperative that we change for the better this time, he said. Voting is taking place at polling stations on all inhabited islands as well as on the tourist resorts that have made the country famous as a paradise destination. Nearly one million holidaymakers visited the Maldives last year, drawn to its secluded beaches on private coral-fringed islands where cabins can cost several thousand dollars a night. Any more instability would spell problems for the industry, the lifeblood of the country, which suffered a wave of cancellations following the unrest last year. Mr Nasheed resigned from office on national television, which had been taken over by the security forces, whom he said threatened him and his family with violence. Mr Waheed, who was then vice-president, took the oath immediately afterwards, leading Nasheed to accuse him of taking part in a conspiracy with Gayoom and other wealthy businessmen. Mr Waheed denies the charges, but the contested change in leadership set back what was a flourishing democracy and has left a legacy of bitterness and distrust. An international investigation concluded that Waheeds ascent to the presidency was constitutional, but Nasheed claimed he stepped down under duress. Leela Ahmed, a 43-year-old teacher, told AFP outside a polling station in Male that she had voted for Mr Nasheed to reverse what she called a coup last year. Were working to bring back a democracy that was crushed by a few people, the mother-of-two said. Mr Nasheed spoke of his apprehension earlier this week that renegade elements within the police and military... might intervene during voting or during counting. The former presidents social programmes and work to highlight climate change - 80 percent of Maldivian land is less than one metre (three feet) above sea level - earned him many fans, but he was not universally popular. After growing frustrated with the judiciary, he sent the army to arrest the head of the countrys criminal court, which led to a pending criminal charge that he abused his powers while in office. His work to increase taxes and introduce budget guesthouses also earned him enemies among the powerful tourist tycoons, while he is seen by some as being too eager to please neighbouring India. Retired politician Ahmed Shareef, who served as a deputy foreign minister and mayor of Male under former governments, denounced Mr Nasheed for privatising the international airport in a deal with Indian operator GMR. The contract was scrapped last year by Mr Waheed, leading to a serious deterioration of ties with India, which has been eyeing greater Chinese interest in the strategically located islands.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 08:02:38 +0000
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