21 October 2018.

The Maldives’ top court Sunday rejected President Abdulla Yameen’s bid to annul last month’s election results. The five-judge Supreme Court bench unanimously ruled that Yameen had failed to prove his claim that the election was rigged.

Ahead of court hearings, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom had warned that they would take appropriate measures if the will of the Maldivian people was undermined.

The Elections Commission is also seeking defamation action. It says it does not recognize President Yameen as PPM’s leader as his appointment in the recent PPM congress was irregular. There were 42 non-members present at the congress and that some of those appointed to senior positions in the party were also non-members.

Maldives’ president elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Sunday urged outgoing president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom to accept the Supreme Court decision and to facilitate smooth transition of power on 17 November 2018.