Abdulla Yameen
Maldives President Yameen Abdul Gayoom is working on ways to remain in power despite having conceded defeat in the presidential election earlier this week, the country’s opposition alliance said Wednesday.
Joint opposition spokesman Ahmed Mahloof told The Associated Press that government officials say Yameen is planning to complain to the Maldives Election Commission about the conduct of the vote and pressure it to delay releasing the final results, due Sunday. Mahloof said Yameen is also trying to get police officers loyal to him to prepare intelligence reports saying the election was flawed.
“It’s serious. After conceding the election he is trying to play dirty,” Mahloof said of Yameen.
Provisional results released Monday showed that joint opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih decisively defeated Yameen with about 58 percent of the vote in Sunday’s election.
Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Hussain Shihab noted that Yameen had conceded the election in a speech Monday. He said Yameen accepted the results and pledged to ensure a smooth transition when his term ends Nov. 17. However, Shihab did not comment on whether Yameen’s stand has changed since then.
The election outcome surprised many given opposition warnings that the voting could be rigged.
The election outcome surprised many given opposition warnings that the voting could be rigged.
However, after Yameen became president in 2013 the country lost many of its democratic gains. He jailed almost all of his political opponents following allegedly flawed trials and forced some into exile. Yameen also consolidated power by exerting control over the courts, bureaucracy, police and the military.
