member Majlis parliament - of which 42 members are elected and eight appointed - is heavily influenced by the president. Maldivian President Abdul Gayoom was in 2003 elected for a record sixth five-year term, making him one of the world's longest-serving leaders. Despite assertions from ruling officials that Goom is intent on democratic reform and intends implementing a number of changes, opposition figures are showing increasing dissent with the system. A number of opposition figures including former MPs have come together to form a new political party, called the Maldivian Democratic Party and launched in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo. A spokesperson for the party said that they were expecting to have around 10 members elected to the parliament but that intimidation from state officials was reducing their chances. The intimidation had increased as the polls drew to a close, the spokesperson, Mohammed Latif, said. "In the rural areas people were being told by Gayoom loyalists that if they need to rebuild the nation after the tsunami, they should vote for supporters of the existing president," Latif told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. "They have not been able to convince the voters in Male with the same trick," he said. Election officials said that counting would being soon after the polls closed, but that results would be expected only on Monday. --SP 2223 Local Time 1923 GMT
