Yameen calls for peace, prosperity in Maldives

Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen on Wednesday called on all fellowmen to maintain peace and prosperity within the nation and urged the new leadership to put the interests of the country above their own.

Days after filing a legal challenge in the island nation's Supreme Court against the results of the September 23 presidential elections in which he was defeated to opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Yameen said he took these last days in office to thank all his citizens, especially his voters.

"As I conclude my presidential term, I want to talk about my policies," Yameen said in a farewell speech.

"All of the government's policies have been based on ensuring the safety and security of the country. It hasn't been an easy task five years in office," he was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

Yameen said that his administration had always worked on constructing and maintaining a strong foreign relation with other nations, particularly countries in the region and the interference of external forces in the Maldives' internal affairs will not be tolerated.

He said he would remain "a loyal citizen who wishes well for the nation" and "move forward with political work together with thousands of people".

Yameen's party, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), filed a legal challenge in the Supreme Court against the presidential polls last week, alleging that there had been rigging.

The case was heard in the Supreme Court on Monday and Tuesday and a verdict was expected to be announced soon.

The Elections Commission dismissed the allegations raised by the PPM and stressed there were no irregularities or complaints that could affect the outcome of the election.

According to official and final results released by the poll body in September, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had secured 134,705 votes in the poll while Yameen had secured 96,052 votes.

--IANS

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