Male: The Maldives' top court on Sunday dismissed the outgoing president's petition seeking an annulment of last month's presidential election result.

The five-member Supreme Court ruled that the election was conducted within the law. No other details were immediately known.

The Election Commission had declared opposition alliance candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih the winner of the September 23 election against President Yameen Abdul Gayoom.

Yameen's party challenged the result, alleging vote rigging, fraud and corruption in the election process.

Four of the five members of the Election Commission fled after the election, citing intimidation by Yameen's supporters.

The Maldives, an Indian Ocean archipelago nation known for its luxury resorts, became a multiparty democracy in 2008 after decades of autocratic rule. Yameen is accused of rolling back many of the democratic gains.