Maldives election: 'Opposition ahead' in early count

The Maldives' opposition candidate has a sizeable lead in early counting for its contentious presidential election, local media say.

With around half the ballot boxes counted, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih reportedly has a 15% lead over the incumbent, President Abdulla Yameen.

Mr Yameen favours closer ties with China, while his rival leans towards India.

Officials say they had to extend voting by three hours due to long queues.

Provisional results from local and state media tallied by the Maldives Independent website put Mr Solih on around 58% in the two-horse race.

Local media outlets Mihaaru and Avas report that around three quarters of 472 vote boxes have been counted so far, while state media PSM puts the number far lower.

The opposition reportedly said their exit polls showed 63% voted for Mr Solih, while Mr Yameen's party told Reuters that areas with strong support for the president had not yet had their ballots counted.

It could take up to a week for the full results to be announced.

The Indian Ocean archipelago is best known overseas for its clear waters and high-end resorts but its government stands accused of crushing dissent.

The European Union and US have voiced concerns about the election, with both threatening to impose targeted sanctions if the democratic situation does not improve.

Police raided opposition headquarters on the eve of the vote.

The Maldives is made up of 26 coral atolls and 1,192 islands, and tourism is a vital part of its economy. More than 400,000 people live there but its future hangs in the balance due to climate change.

Polls opened at 08:00 (03:00 GMT) on Sunday, and closed three hours later than expected, at 19:00.

What's the situation in the Maldives?

The archipelago has been gripped by political upheaval in recent years. In February the Supreme Court quashed the convictions of nine opposition figures, among them exiled ex-President Mohamed Nasheed, who was ousted from office in 2012.

But after President Yameen declared a state of emergency and ordered the arrest of two judges, the court reversed its decision.

The move was seen as a sign that Mr Yameen - who is seeking to win another five-year term - would not tolerate any challenge to his rule and sparked criticism from Washington, London and New Delhi.

Some in India, meanwhile, called for an intervention in a small, neighbouring country once seen as firmly within its sphere of influence. Mr Nasheed also appealed for Indian military intervention.

What does China have to do with this?

As part of Beijing's push to gain strategic influence and carve out new trading routes in the Indian Ocean and beyond, it has lent billions for huge infrastructural projects in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and operates key ports in those countries, to the chagrin of India.

Under Mr Yameen, the Maldives has also welcomed Chinese money for major projects and signed a free trade agreement. More tourists from China now visit the Maldives than from any other country.

Analysts say that Beijing fears any change in government that could affect its interests, while India is concerned about Mr Yameen's cosy ties with its regional rival.

"India sees it all in a very securitised sense that here are all these Chinese-backed ports around it," said Gareth Price, a South Asia expert at the think-tank Chatham House, referring to Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Delhi thus sees China's lavishing of loans on the Maldives as part of a wider strategic ambition to secure another foothold in the Indian Ocean, he added.

Is it a fair election?

International monitors have been barred from the country for the election, and very few foreign media have been allowed in.

On Saturday, police officers searched the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party office in Male without a warrant, the party said. A police spokesperson confirmed the raid to the BBC, without providing further details.

The commission's spokesman has said allegations of possible voter fraud "don't have any basis in reality" and that the vote counting process has not changed.

Mr Yameen has shrugged off accusations of authoritarianism, saying during the campaign: "No-one will come to greet me and shake my hand, if there is tyranny."

His half-brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, ran the country autocratically for three decades until the archipelago's first-ever democratic vote in 2008, which was won by Mr Nasheed. Mr Gayoom was jailed in June.

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