Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group Danny Faures says the group's overall assessment is that the conduct of the second round of the Presidential Election was peaceful and transparent.
In a statement after Saturday's run-off, the former President of Seychelles that 6 out of 11 observers drawn from every region of the Commonwealth returned to the Maldives for the second round of voting in the Presidential Election.
He said that for the second round, members of the Commonwealth Group were deployed to various atolls, where they engaged with local stakeholders: including the Gaaf Dhaal atoll, Haa Dhaalu, Kaafu, and Seenu atolls.
Faures said that for the first time, observers were deployed to an overseas location, in London.
He said that on Election day, observers saw citizens across the Maldives exercising their democratic rights with great civility.
He said that they also realize this democratic exercise would not have been possible without the high level of diligence and coordination shown by the Elections Commission of the Maldives and their staff, as well as by the Maldives Police Service.
The Chair of the Observers group further said that the group was impressed by efforts made by the Elections Commission to improve their processes in response to some of their recommendations from their preliminary findings in the first round.
Faure said that the group's overall assessment is that the conduct of the second round of the Presidential Election was peaceful and transparent.
He added credit for this outcome must go, most of all, to the Maldivian people, who once again demonstrated their commitment to the democratic process of their country.
He reiterated their earlier appeal to them to maintain the same commitment to peace in the post-election period.
