MALE, Oct 28: Voters in the Maldives turned out in droves on Tuesday for the tiny atoll nation’s first democratic presidential run-off, pitting Asia’s longest serving leader against a former political prisoner.

President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the 71-year-old frontrunner, faced his toughest critic Mohamed “Anni” Nasheed, 41, after failing to win an outright victory in the first round of voting here just three weeks ago.

The Maldives, a liberal Muslim nation of 300,000 people, has never had multi-party elections before. In fact, until a few years ago, anyone declaring an intention to seek high office used to be banished to an uninhabited island.

The elections are the climax of an effort to bring political freedoms to the Indian Ocean archipelago — a popular holiday destination — in the wake of pro-democracy protests and international pressure.

Preliminary results were expected on Wednesday, but the official count will not be released for five or six days, the election commission said.

Commission spokesman Mohamed Tholal said that he expected turnout to be less than the 85 per cent seen in the first round on Oct 8.

Hotel employee Hussein Iqbal said he waited an hour to vote but felt it was worth it, noting: “I voted for change.” “Gayoom was the president when I was born,” said Sabra Noordeen, 22, an opposition activist.

“I’m keen to see a change so I went early and voted Anni,”referring to Nasheed by his common nickname.

But Ibrahim Shahib, a private sector employee, said he voted for Gayoom, who has served as president since 1978 and steered the Maldives’ transformation from fishing-based economy to luxury tourism hotspot.

“He may not be great, but he’s still the better candidate,” Shahib said.

The opposition claimed hundreds of voters were unjustly dropped from voter lists, but said they were nevertheless satisfied with the turnout among the 209,000 people eligible to vote.

Ibra Ahmed was one of those waiting at an election office in the capital Male to file a complaint after being left off the voter lists.

“I was given complaint number 995,” Ahmed said. “I won’t be able to vote because they will not look into this before voting ends.”.

Voting officially ended at 8:00 pm (1500 GMT) after 11 hours, but those who made it to the polling stations before closing time were still allowed to vote, Tholal said.

Gayoom’s spokesman Mohammed Shareef said the president — who grabbed 41 per cent of the first round vote compared with Nasheed’s 25 percent — was confident of victory.

But before the final round, Nasheed appealed to the incumbent to allow a “peaceful transition”.

“Gayoom had the opportunity to gracefully bow out and allow the reforms to go ahead,” said Nasheed, who has promised to cut state spending, privatise state trading enterprises and turn the lavish presidential palace into a university.

The landmark presidential vote marks the first time Gayoom has allowed any competition. Rival political parties were only allowed to be formed on the islands two years ago.

Despite its popularity as an exotic holiday destination for the rich, the country is beset with corruption, a lack of housing, child malnutrition and a serious drug problem said to affect one in three youngsters.—AFP