Election runoff: Voter turnout above 86%

Elections Commission (EC) says the voter turnout in the presidential election runoff held on Saturday stands at over 86 percent.

EC’s vice chairman Ismail Habeeb told Sun on Saturday night that the commission’s data show the turnout will be more than 86 percent.

282,804 people were eligible to vote in the runoff, including 144,410 men and 138,394 women.

The figure is slightly higher than the 282,395 people who were eligible to vote in the first round on September 9. The first round produced a turnout of 79.85 percent – the lowest in a presidential election to date.

Total eight candidates had contested in the first round – none of whom secured enough votes to win the election outright.

The runoff was contested by opposition PPM-PNC’s candidate Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who won 46 percent of votes, and MDP’s Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the incumbent president, who won 39 percent.