MALE: Opposition candidate Mohamed Muizzu won Saturday’s elections in the Maldives, local media reported. Mohamed Muizzu secured over 54% of the vote, beating Ibrahim Solih, who had taken 46% after almost all the votes were counted.
Mohamed Muizzu Wins Presidential Election
Ibrahim Solih accepted defeat after an official count suggested his rival Mohamed Muizzu in an unquestionable lead. “Congratulations to Muizzu,” he wrote on his social media account.
An engineer, Mohamed Muiz had served as minister for housing for almost seven years. He was also a former mayor of Male. Muiz’s party is known as the People’s National Congress.
Thousands turned out early at 586 polling stations across the country, Reuters reported. Maldivians also voted at polling stations in Sri Lanka, India, Britain, Abu Dhabi, and Malaysia.
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Ibrahim Solih focused on building relations with India during his time in power while Muizzu initiated an “India out” campaign, pledging to remove the Indian military presence from the country.
Muizzu entered the fight with support from pro-Beijing ex-President Abdulla Yameen, who was banned from taking part in the election by the country’s Supreme Court in August after a conviction for money laundering and corruption.
Abdulla Yameen and Muizzu’s supporters assembled outside the main Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) office in the country’s capital celebrating the victory along with chants of “free Yameen” after the results were telecast.
