Colombo - Polling ended in the Maldives, where voters had on Saturday made their third attempt to elect a president, hoping to put behind them two failed polls as a constitutional deadline approached.
"Voting was concluded across the country without major incidents," a spokesman for the election commissioner's office said. Counting was expected to begin shortly.
Voting times were advanced by 30 minutes to help counting conclude early and proceed quickly to a second round run-off poll if required on Sunday, officials said.
A new president needs to be in place by November 11, when, according to the constitution, the term of the incumbent president ends.
The first round was held in the island nation on September 7, which was to be followed by a run-off vote as none of the candidates secured the required 50 per cent.
However, following a court order the results of the first round were annulled and a fresh election was set for October 19. But that poll was cancelled because of a dispute between rival political camps over voting lists.
This time, all three parties contesting endorsed the electoral register.
Former president and leader of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Mohamed Nasheed; Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate Abdulla Yamin; and Jumhoory Party (JP) candidate Gasim Ibrahim are contesting the elections.
Nasheed is the frontrunner, having secured 45 per cent of the vote in the September poll.
Incumbent Mohamed Waheed Hassan contested the first round in September, but received only 5 per cent of the vote and subsequently withdrew his candidacy.
The predominantly Muslim Indian Ocean archipelago has an estimated 240 000 voters. - Sapa-dpa