EU warns Maldives of appropriate measures if elections delayed

EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Catherine Ashton on Wednesday said the EU has noted that on November 9 the Maldivians voted in high numbers in the repeated first round of Presidential elections. As in September, the first round "was conducted in a professional and impartial way, " she said in a statement. "A second round is now scheduled for Saturday, 16 November, but in circumstances not foreseen in the Constitution. "The EU considers that any attempt to further delay or otherwise influence the outcome of the elections could only be intended to prevent the people of the Maldives from exercising their democratic right to choose their next president," noted the EU foreign policy chief. She stressed "that neither continuing uncertainty nor a drift towards autocratic rule would be acceptable to the EU and that it is therefore ready to consider appropriate measures should the poll on 16 November not bring the electoral process to a successful conclusion.