Abdulla Yameen sworn in as new president of Maldives

Abdulla Yameen, the half-brother of former autocratic ruler Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, was sworn in as the new president of Maldives on Sunday, after a run-off victory over favourite Mohamed Nasheed, ending nearly two years of political uncertainty in the island nation.

Yameen, 54, an economist, was sworn in as the 6th president of Maldives by Chief Justice Ahmad Faiz at a special session of Parliament.

Yameen, a candidate of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), unexpectedly won the presidential run-off on Saturday, securing 51.39 per cent of the votes against 48.61 polled by opposition leader and favoured former president Nasheed.

Yameen's running-mate Mohammad Jameel was sworn in as vice-president.

Maldives, an island archipelago in the Indian Ocean, consisting of a double chain of twenty-six atolls that lie between Minicoy Island (the southernmost part of Lakshadweep, India) and the Chagos Archipelago, mainly depends on its income from tourists that flock to its beaches.

"I shall strive to make the Maldives the safest and most developed nation in the region. We will maintain good neighbourly relations with countries in the region," Yameen, the second democratically-elected President of the Maldives, said.

Two former presidents - Nasheed and Maumoon - also attended the swearing in ceremony.