Male, Nov 17 (IANS): The Maldives' Elections Commission today confirmed Abdulla Yameen, candidate of the Progressive Party, as the new President of the Indian Ocean archipelago nation.
Mohammed Nasheed, former President and a contestant who was favoured to win, has at a press conference conceded his defeat.
The results of the second round of the presidential poll held on Saturday were announced by Elections Commission President Fuad Thaufeeq at a press conference this morning, Xinhua reported.
"According to the official results of this election, I hereby announce that the Progressive Party of Maldives' presidential candidate Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom of Ma. Kaaminee Hulhanguge has been elected the president of the Maldives for the presidential term that began on 11 November 2013."
The official results remained unchanged from the preliminary results announced around midnight.
Yameen won with a preliminary 51.6 percent of votes while his opponent, former president and candidate of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Mohamed Nasheed, garnered 105,181 votes, or 48.61 percent.
The voter turnout was 91.41 percent with 218,621 people voting out of the country's 239,165 eligible voters.
Nasheed conceded his defeat at a press conference.
The president-elect is to be inaugurated later in the day, when he will also try to name his cabinet.
India for cooperation with new Maldives President: India today congratulated the Maldives' president-elect Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and the people of the Indian Ocean archipelago nation on the successful completion of the presidential elections in a peaceful manner.
In a statement, the Indian government said it looks forward to cooperating with the new President and his government. It said the high voter turn-out in every round of the presidential elections is "indicative of the strong desire and determination of the people of the Maldives to participate wholeheartedly in the process of choosing their President".
"We welcome the acceptance of the verdict of the people of Maldives by all sides and commitment expressed to take the country forward on the path of stability, progress and development," the statement said.
"India and the Maldives have traditionally maintained the closest ties of friendship and cooperation that extends to people-to-people contact, economic and developmental partnership and defence and security cooperation. India will continue to partner the Maldives in this endeavour and looks forward to cooperating closely with the new President and his government," it said further.
