Maldives votes in presidential election

There are four candidates participating in this presidential race, including current President Mohamed Waheed.

More than 240,000 Maldivian voters went to the polls on the morning of September 7 to elect a President, since the country's first democratically elected President, Mohammed Nasheed, was ousted in February 2012.

Former President Mohammed Nasheed, one of four candidates in the presidential race (Photo: AP)

Participating in this year's presidential race are four powerful candidates: current President Mohamed Waheed, former President Mohammed Nasheed, tycoon Gasim Ibrahim and Mr. Abdulla Yameen, half-brother of former President Abdul Gayoom.

More than 400 volunteers have joined the election monitoring in Maldives to ensure the election is democratic and transparent. According to the Maldives government, the preliminary election results will be announced at 11 pm on September 7 (local time) and the official election results will be announced on the morning of September 8.

An island nation in the Indian Ocean with nearly 1,200 islands and known as a tourist paradise, Maldives has been experiencing violence and political strife since February 2012 - when former President Nasheed was overthrown in a coup by security forces and protesters.

The political crisis in Maldives began when Mr. Nasheed ordered the arrest of a senior judge of the criminal court on corruption grounds. Protests against Mr. Nasheed erupted into violence when protesters clashed with police in the capital Male. However, a large number of police and military forces later turned to support the protesters and occupied the national television station. Tensions rose, forcing President Nasheed to announce his resignation./.

According to VOV - DT