MALE, Maldives — Maldives strongman President Yameen Abdul Gayoom conceded that he lost Sunday’s election to his challenger, longtime lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, in a speech broadcast live on television Monday. Since getting elected in 2013, Yameen had cracked down on political dissent, jailing rivals — including his half brother and the Maldives’ first democratically elected president — and Supreme Court justices. He became the Maldivian Democratic Party’s presidential candidate after its other top figures were jailed or exiled by Yameen’s government. The European Union had said that it was not sending election observers because the Maldives had failed to meet the basic conditions for monitoring. The State Department congratulated the people of the Maldives for having a peaceful, democratic vote.

Source: National Post September 24, 2018 05:53 UTC