PPM parliamentary group leader admits losing bid for re-election
Nihan contested for the South-Thinadhoo seat
Villimalé MP Ahmed Nihan
Villimalé MP Ahmed Nihan has admitted his defeat in the parliamentary election held on Saturday.
MP Nihan, a staunch supporter of former president Abdulla Yameen and parliamentary group leader of his Progressive Party of Maldives, contested for the South-Thinadhoo seat.
Results for two South-Thinadhoo ballot boxes show a lead for the government coalition’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) candidate Abdulla Saneef.
Nihan follows in second place, with Jumhooree Party candidate Abdulla Ahmed in third place, and independent candidate Mujthaba Jameel in fourth.
While interim results are yet to be announced, initial count shows a 53-seat victory for MDP, of 86 seats that the party is contesting for.
Polling ended at 18:00 on Saturday with a voter turn out of 207,360, which is 78.4 percent of all eligible voters.
Voting was carried out across the country, with three polling stations abroad, with little incident. The police apprehended four people for photographing their ballot papers.
