Candidate supported by China emerges as the victor in Maldives presidential election

In the Maldives presidential elections, a candidate who is pro-China has emerged victorious, defeating the incumbent who had strengthened relations with India. Mohamed Muizzu, the mayor of the capital city Male, campaigned with a slogan of "India out" and secured 54% of the vote. The current president, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, graciously accepted defeat in the run-off poll and congratulated his rival on the win. Solih will continue to serve as caretaker president until the new president is inaugurated on 17 November. Solih, from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), had been in power since 2018 and had worked to strengthen relations with India, a country with strong cultural and financial ties to the Maldives. He pursued an "India-first" policy during his tenure. The Maldives has traditionally been under India's sphere of influence, and India's presence in the region allows them to monitor a crucial area of the Indian Ocean. In contrast, Muizzu, a member of the Progressive Alliance coalition, advocates for better relations with China. China, with its expanding naval forces, is seeking access to strategically important locations, which puts them at odds with rival India, who aims to prevent this. Beijing also wants to protect its energy supplies from the Gulf that pass through the Maldives. Historically, India has provided military assistance to the Maldives, including helicopters and aircraft, and stationed around 75 Indian military personnel in the country. However, an opposition movement calling for the removal of Indian security personnel gained momentum, leading to tensions between the two nations. Prior to Solih, Abdulla Yameen from the Progressive Party (PPM) served as the president from 2013 to 2018. Yameen aligned the Maldives closer to China and participated in President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative. However, Yameen is currently serving an 11-year prison term for corruption, disqualifying him from running in this year's election. Supporters of Muizzu celebrated the election victory outside the PPM headquarters. Muizzu, born in 1978, holds a PhD in civil engineering from the University of Leeds in the UK. He entered politics in 2012 as the minister of housing under Yameen's presidency and continued to oversee significant infrastructure projects, including the construction of a $200 million bridge connecting Male with the international airport on a separate island. In 2021, he won the mayoral elections in Male, marking a notable achievement for the PPM.