Two old rivals now duel for Maldives presidency

By Judith Evans

MALE (Reuters) - Maldives' first free presidential race on Friday became a duel between Asia's longest-serving leader and the pro-democracy activist he jailed dozens of times, who said he now has a unified opposition behind himself.

Even before the electoral commission announced early on Friday that President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and challenger Mohamed Nasheed would go to an Oct. 29 runoff, thousands of supporters of the two rivals took to the streets to celebrate.

Gayoom, the 71-year-old incumbent seeking a seventh term, got 40.6 percent of the votes in this week's poll, beset by rigging allegations and delays that stretched it into a second day. Nasheed, known as Anni, came second with 25.1 percent.

The Oct. 29 date puts it well outside the 10-day limit prescribed in a new election law, part of a series of democratic reforms Gayoom put in effect this year that culminated with the poll on islands that until 40 years ago were a sultanate.

Diplomats and a Commonwealth observation team praised the 85 percent turnout and said the overall exercise was credible despite the hitches.

"They did about as well as they could have, given this was their first time, and they did it all on the back of an envelope two weeks beforehand," said a Western diplomat who observed the polls. "The proof will be in the pudding in the second round, because it's head-to-head."

Nasheed, known popularly as Anni, was at the centre of pro-democracy protests in 2004 that led to a heavy-handed crackdown by Gayoom and drew rare international attention to politics in the sleepy Maldives.

"We support Anni because he's our Nelson Mandela," activist Ahmed Hameed, 47, said. Many Nasheed supports draw that comparison to the former South African president and longtime political prisoner.