Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Maldivians Go to the Polls by VOA News Voters in the Maldives are going to the polls Saturday to elect a new leader. The country's first democratically elected president, who was toppled from office last year, is one of the four candidates seeking the country's top position. Former president Mohamed Nasheed says he was forced to resign at gunpoint following a coup in February. A domestic commission dismissed Nasheed's claims, saying the transfer of power was "legal and constitutional." Nasheed's former vice president is now President Mohamed Waheed Hassan, and is also a candidate in the presidential race. The two other candidates are businessman Gasim Ibrahim and Abdulla Yameen, the brother of long-time Maldivian autocrat Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. If none of the candidates wins more than 50 percent of the vote Saturday, a runoff is scheduled for September 28. The Republic of Maldives is a Muslim-majority nation made up of about 1,200 islands scattered in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka. The country is famous for its luxury beach resorts and hotels. Former president Nasheed gained international prominence for his efforts to draw attention to the issue of climate change, including once holding a Cabinet meeting underwater. __________________________________________________________________ [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/maldivians-go-to-polls/1745142.html References 1. http://www.voanews.com/content/maldivians-go-to-polls/1745142.html