The Supreme Court in the Maldives has ordered the suspension of run-off presidential elections due to take place on Sunday, a day after former president Mohamed Nasheed won the first round.
"All relevant state authorities are informed that today's election cannot take place," the court said, agreeing to a demand by a defeated candidate to put off the second round.
The court said the "most suitable date" for the next round would be November 16, despite strongly worded statements from the United States and the Commonwealth that elections should be held without further delay.
Nasheed, who resigned as president of the Indian Ocean archipelago last year, had nearly 47 per cent of the vote in Saturday's election, while Yaamin Abdul Gayoom, the brother of 30-year autocratic ruler Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, trailed with 30 per cent.
A third candidate, businessman Qasim Ibrahim, had 23 per cent.
Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party issued a statement insisting that the runoff be held as planned and accusing his opponent of "once again, trying to subvert democracy by refusing to sign the voter lists".
It called on the international community to do everything possible to ensure that a president is elected by a constitutional deadline that falls on Monday, November 11.
"The international community must apply pressure, including targeted, punitive sanctions, on those individuals who seek to undermine Maldivian democracy," the party said.
Officials have faced many obstacles in holding only the second multiparty presidential election in the country.
Two attempts at holding the election since September failed with questions over the accuracy of the voters' list prepared by the Elections Commission.
The chaos left voters isolated and divided, and their country's new democracy under threat.
Observers had regarded the September election as largely free and fair, but the Supreme Court said it found the voters' register included fake names and those of dead people.
Police stopped a second attempt to hold the election last month because all the candidates had not endorsed the voters' list as mandated by the Supreme Court.
Prospects for the election still looked bleak before sitting President Mohamed Waheed Hassan mediated and obtained assurances on Wednesday from candidates that they will approve the voters' register.
He later negotiated with the Elections Commission to move up the runoff, which was originally scheduled for November 16, because the constitution requires an elected president to be in office by November 11 when Hassan's term ends and a constitutional crisis could result otherwise.
Some 240,000 people were eligible to vote in the country and despite a slow start the turnout was about 86 per cent by the time polls closed.
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