Results released by the Election Commission of Maldives showed Joint Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had secured 58.3% of the popular vote.
The US on Sunday congratulated the people of Maldives on the peaceful conclusion of elections in their country and urged "calm and respect for the will of the people" as the process concludes.
"The United States congratulates the people of Maldives, who peacefully raised their democratic voices to determine the future of their country," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.
"Although the Election Commission has not yet announced the final tally, we note Maldives' media and NGO reports that the Joint Opposition candidate has secured a victory following a peaceful day of polling," she added.
"We urge calm and respect for the will of the people as the election process concludes," Nauert said.
Results released by the Election Commission of Maldives showed Joint Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had secured 58.3% of the popular vote -- an unassailable lead over incumbent President Abdulla Yameen.
While Solih has called on Yameen to concede defeat, there was no response from the incumbent.
"I call on Yameen to respect the will of the people and bring about a peaceful, smooth transfer of power," Salih said on television as the results were announced.
Solih said he won Sunday's presidential vote with a 16 point margin after 92%of the votes had been counted.
Provisional results counted in 446 of 472 ballot boxes by 1943 GMT showed the opposition leading by a margin of 16.6%, news website Mihaaru reported.
"This is a moment of happiness, a moment of hope. This is a journey that has ended at the ballot box because the people willed it," Solih, popularly known as Ibu, told reporters in Male.
C celebrations broke out across the country with opposition supporters carrying yellow flags of Solih’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and dancing on the streets.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the main opposition campaign centre in Male in a jubilant mood, chanting "Ibu, Ibu, Ibu" and calling on Yameen to concede defeat.
With most of Yameen's critics either in jail or exile, the united opposition trying to oust the President had backed Solih's candidature. He, however, struggled for visibility with the electorate, with the local media local and international media facing reporting restrictions.
Yameen had been expected to cement his grip on power amid criticism over the fairness of the vote on the islands best known as a luxury holiday destination.
(With agencies)
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