British official: Future Maldives elections should not be delayed

Local and parliamentary elections in Maldives shouldn't be subject to the same delays that tarnished the country's presidential vote, a British official said. "It is important that the forthcoming local and parliamentary elections go ahead in line with work of the Elections Commission and are not subject to the delay and legal interventions that marred the presidential elections," Hugo Swire, British foreign minister for Asian affairs, said in a statement Monday. The Maldivian Supreme Court interrupted presidential elections three times this year. Abdulla Yameen was sworn in Sunday as president. He defeated front-runner Mohamed Nasheed, ousted in an apparent coup in February 2012, in a runoff that had been delayed by the court. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement through his spokesman Sunday saying the Maldivian people showed their commitment to democracy "despite the many obstacles and delays." No date was given for the next round of elections in Maldives.