India confident of presidential poll, says Nasheed

Frontrunner of the Maldives presidential election Mohammad Nasheed said India is confident the embattled poll will be held Saturday and a new president sworn in next month.

"India believes that there will no further issues and a smooth election will be held," Nasheed said at a press conference Friday.

Nasheed reiterated that his party is ready to go ahead with poll despite his party is noting issues with the eligible voters' list.

Former president Mohammad Nasheed, who was controversially ousted from power in February 2012, won first round of poll on Sep 7, before the apex court annulled the ballot paving the way for fresh elections. He met Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh Thursady, Xinhua reported.

The Indian foreign secretary went to the Maldives to discuss the prevailing political solution. Besides the president and the defence minister, she met former president Abdul Gayoom, said an official statement.

Sujatha ingh is scheduled to meet the two other candidates, tycoon Gasim Ibrahim and MP Abdulla Yamin. She will also meet Maldivian President Mohammad Waheed, who has withdrawn from the race and has voiced doubts about the credibility of the fresh poll.

Analysts believe, it is a serious effort by India to ensure that the presidential election, which has been beset by legal wrangling, will be held as scheduled on Oct 19.

MDP, a political party, has pointed issues with the eligible voters' list for Saturday's fresh presidential election.

The Maldives Supreme Court earlier this month annulled the previous round of the poll after Gasim lodged a case alleging widespread corruption in the polling process.

The United Nations, the US and India have called for the election process to resume at the earliest.