AlHijjah 26, 1434, Oct 31, 2013, SPA -- Britain warned Thursday that additional delays in the Maldives' troubled presidential election could tarnish the country's reputation and harm an economy heavily reliant on tourism. According to AP, the minister of state at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Hugo Swire, said that legal challenges to the electoral process appear to be aimed at preventing citizens from expressing their views at the ballot box. "The unacceptable delays to elections and reports of the intimidation of parliamentarians, NGOs and media organizations have been closely watched by the international community," he said. "Further delays could result in greater damage to the Maldives' international reputation and could have a negative impact upon the Maldives' economy." The Maldives' Supreme Court annulled the results of the Sept. 7 election, saying that the voter registry was flawed with made-up names and those of dead people. It ordered a revote, which police then stopped, saying that officials had not complied with all guidelines set out by the court in holding the election.
