Outgoing president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom would not attend the presidential inauguration of his successor Ibrahim Mohamed Solih later Saturday.
President's Office spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali on Twitter said president Yameen's decision was based on the injustice suffered by thousands of his supporters - in reference to the election challenge he filed following his defeat in September's election which was rejected by the country's top court.
Yameen lost the September 23 election by a margin of 16 percent to opposition alliance candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, in an outcome hailed as a win for democracy in the crisis-hit archipelago.
The result was widely accepted, including by the United States, China, India, and the European Union.
Solih is set to be sworn in a grand ceremony at the national football stadium in the capital Male on November 17 with over a thousand invitees to witness the inauguration.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most high-profile attendee of the ceremony with the Maldives foreign ministry confirming that over 300 delegates from 46 different countries would attend the event in the capital Male.
