By Xinhua,
Male : The first-ever multi party presidential election began Wednesday in the Indian Ocean archipelago of Maldives with six candidates contesting the presidency.
The incumbent President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has been the president since November 1978, will run for the presidency representing the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (Maldivian People’s Party).
Other candidates are Maldivian Democratic Party’s Mohamed Nasheed, Islamic Democratic Party’s Umar Naseer, Social Liberal Party’s Ibrahim Ismail, Jumhooree Party’s Qasim Ibrahim and independent candidate Hassan Saeed.
Election officials said about 209,000 people are eligible to vote and the booth will keep open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time (0400 GMT to 1600 GMT).