Maldives (Commonwealth Union)_ Mohamed Muizzu, the candidate from the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), emerged victorious in the 2023 Maldivian presidential elections. This election followed a second round of polling, necessitated by the absence of a clear winner in the initial round. Muizzu had secured a lead in the first round with approximately 46 percent of the votes, while Ibrahim Solih garnered 39 percent. However, the latest reports from local media platforms indicated that Muizzu clinched the presidency with over 53 percent of the vote after the tallying of results from all 586 ballot boxes.
Following his resounding victory, the president-elect of the Maldives expressed his gratitude at his party’s headquarters, thanking those who cast their votes in his favor. He also called upon the government to release former President Abdulla Yameen, currently serving an 11-year jail sentence on corruption charges. Muizzu emphasized the significance of this outcome as a source of encouragement in the pursuit of a brighter future for the nation and the preservation of its sovereignty.
Muizzu stated, “Today is a very happy day…I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the Maldivian people. This outcome today is a huge encouragement for us in our pursuit to build a better future for our country, and to ensure the sovereignty of our nation”. He added, “Yameen, the leader of the PPM, must be released. The president has the power to transfer [Yameen] home imprisonment. And doing so, I believe, is the best action that can be taken in our nation’s interests”. Muizzu’s stance as ‘pro-China’ is notable due to the substantial Chinese loans acquired during the previous PPM government’s tenure. It is an aspect of his political alignment that bears attention in the broader geopolitical context.
In response to the election results, Maldives President Ibrahim Solih gracefully conceded defeat in the run-off vote and extended his congratulations to Muizzu. This momentous electoral shift marks the first instance since the inception of multi-party elections in 2008 where Maldivian voters have chosen an authoritarian challenger over a liberal democratic government. It also represents a significant reversal of fortune for Solih, who had secured a landslide victory in the 2018 election amidst widespread concerns regarding human rights violations and corruption under his predecessor. The Maldives Foreign Minister and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader, Abdulla Shahid, also extended his congratulations to Muizzu while expressing gratitude for President Ibrahim Solih’s leadership.
Furthermore, Parliament Speaker and former President Mohamed Nasheed joined in congratulating Muizzu on his apparent victory in the second round of elections. Muizzu’s background includes serving as the mayor of the capital, Male, and holding a doctorate in civil engineering from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. He previously held the position of Minister of Housing in former President Abdulla Yameen’s cabinet. This election outcome underscores the evolving political landscape in the Maldives, with implications for the country’s domestic and international relations, particularly in the context of its dealings with China.
