Maldivian watch a live telecast of statement delivered by president Yameen Abdul Gayoom at a cafe in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared victory early Monday in the Maldives' contentious presidential election, which was widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. Famed for its sandy white beaches and luxury resorts, the nation of islands and atolls in the southern Indian Ocean has seen economic growth and longer life expectancy under strongman President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, according to the World Bank. But democratic freedoms have been curtailed. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena), APTOPIX