Gayoom era ends, Maldives elects democratic prez

A former political prisoner won the Maldives' first democratic presidential election, defeating longtime ruler President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and sending euphoric opposition supporters pouring into the streets Wednesday in celebration. With all the votes counted from Tuesday's election, opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed won 54 per cent of the vote to Gayoom's 46 per cent, according to final provisional results from the elections commission.