Maldives votes for change, Oppn leader Solih to be next president

Maldivians came out in large numbers and waited patiently in line under a hot sun to cast their vote in the country's third presidential elections on Sunday

Voters in the Maldives have delivered a stunning upset in the country’s presidential elections, with provisional results confirming opposition candidate Ibu Solih’s lead over President Abdulla Yameen.

Maldivians came out in large numbers and waited patiently in line under a hot sun, sometimes for over eight hours, to cast their vote in the country’s third presidential elections on Sunday (September 23).

The Maldivian electorate of 262,135, spread around 1,000 islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean, had a choice between the incumbent President Abdulla Yameen and the joint opposition candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, a low-profile, experienced politician.

Official turnout figures were not yet