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Maldivian High Court Rejects President's Claims Election Was Rigged

At first, Yameen conceded defeat, but later he claimed the election was rigged and called for a police investigation.
Posted at 3:04 PM, Oct 21, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-21 15:04:01-04

The Maldives' Supreme Court has decided the results of last month's presidential election will stand. The court unanimously rejected outgoing President Abdulla Yameen's request to annul the results.

Opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won the election by a margin of more than 16 percent. 

At first, Yameen conceded defeat, but later he claimed the election was rigged and called for a police investigation. The Maldives' highest court said on Sunday that Yameen didn't prove his claims. 

The Maldives has been in a state of political unrest since February, when Yameen sent troops to raid the country's supreme court and jailed two justices for overturning the convictions of several opposition leaders. 

Critics have expressed concern about the transition of power, though Yameen has said he's getting ready to step down. Solih is set to take over the presidency on Nov. 17.