Supreme Court of the Maldives annulled First round of Voting in Presidential Election

The Supreme Court of the Maldives on 7 October 2013 annulled the results of the first round of voting in the country's presidential election. It agreed with a losing candidate's claim that the election was flawed. The ruling was given by a 7-member judicial panel. It ordered revoting to be completed by 3 November 2013.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed had led the first round of voting with more than 45 percent but couldn’t get the required 50 percent. Yaamin Abdul Gayoom (brother of Maldive’s longtime autocratic leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom) finished second. He had to face Nasheed in the second round scheduled for 28 September 2013.

However, Qasim Ibrahim businessman by profession, who finished a close third after first round voting, complained of a rigged voter registry that included the names of people who are deceased. The difference between the second and third-placed candidates was only 2700 votes.

The decision to annul an election was hailed as free and fair by the United Nations, European Union and countries like the United States and India.
The first democratic election was held in Maldives in 2008 after the 30-year autocratic rule of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. He was succeeded by Nasheed who was ousted in a military coup in 2012 amid public protests.