WEB DESK
In Maldives, military and police chiefs have asserted that security forces would protect the will of the people amidst speculation that outgoing President Abdulla Yameen would try to hold on to power. Military chief Major General Ahmed Shiyam appeared on a private TV channel promising the results would be honoured. Police chief Abdulla Nawaz issued a similar televised statement last evening.
Earlier, election commission chief Ahmed Shareef had confirmed that President’s party lodged several complaints of vote irregularities. While promising to look into those complaints, Mr. Shareef said that there were no grounds for him to delay the announcement of the formal results, due by Sunday.
The incumbent President lost the presidential election to opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, despite warnings from private poll monitors that the electoral process had been rigged in favour of the former.