The Maldives Supreme Court has reportedly annulled the results of the first round of voting in presidential elections, held on 7 September, amidst allegations of electoral fraud.
The court has postponed the second round of voting and has called a fresh ballot for 20 October.
According to the BBC, Mohammed Nasheed, who was forced from office in an alleged coup last year, won 45 percent of the vote, falling short of the total needed to avoid a run-off.
An official said that any run-off vote should be held before 4 November so that a new president can take office by the 11 November deadline.
Qasim Ibrahim, who came in third in the first round of voting, had asked the court last month to void the results citing electoral fraud.
Meanwhile, local and international observers described the first round of voting as free and fair.
The report said that just hours before the court ruling on Monday, masked men set fire to the studios of pro-opposition television station Raajje TV, which is known to support Nasheed.
