Maldives opposition: Yameen attempting to stay in power

Maldives opposition: Yameen attempting to stay in power

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen in Beijing on December 7, 2017. Reuters

The Maldives' opposition alliance says President Yameen Abdul Gayoom is working on ways to remain in power despite having conceded defeat in the presidential election earlier this week.

Joint opposition spokesman Ahmed Mahloof said Wednesday that government officials say Yameen is planning to complain to the Maldives Election Commission about how the vote was conducted and try to pressure it to delay releasing the final results, due Sunday.

Mahloof said Yameen is also trying to get police officers loyal to him to prepare intelligence reports saying the election was flawed.

Repeated calls to government officials seeking comment went unanswered. Provisional results released on Monday show that joint opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih decisively defeated Yameen with about 58% of the vote in Sunday's election.

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