Male: Former President Mohammed Nasheed on Saturday led the first round of presidential re-vote in the Maldives but failed to clinch an outright majority, setting up a run-off with runner-up Abdulla Yameen in a repeat of the annulled election results of September. In the crucial vote, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) chief Nasheed bagged 46.4 per cent of the votes, a marginal increase from his previous tally of 45.45 per cent votes in the September 7 polls that were annulled by the Supreme Court, news daily Haveeru reported.

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) leader Abdullah Yameen made a significant gain of nearly five per cent over the 25.35 per cent of votes he secured in the annulled polls and managed 30.3 per cent of the votes on Saturday. Jumhooree Party (JP) leader and resort tycoon Gasim Ibrahim bagged 23.4 per cent of the votes as second runner up. Nearly 2.03 lakh people or 85 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise, as against the turnout of 88 per cent cast during the voting in September.

There was no clarity on the date for the run-off as Elections Commission President Fuwad Thaufeek told the media that two political parties - PPM and JP - were yet to endorse the voters' list for the second round, making it difficult to hold it tomorrow. Yameen was quoted by Haveeru as saying, "We went to sign the final list including the people who turned 18 on Sunday. But that was not the list given to us. We're ready to sign the list as soon as it is provided. But we need at least 48 hours to review the list."