Maldives likely heading for round 2 of presidential elections as no winner emerges

The Maldives looks all set to hold round two of the presidential elections after none of the top two candidates managed to secure more than 50 per cent of the vote in round one, reports in local media indicated.

Opposition leader Mohamed Muiz, who is often viewed as heavily pro-China, surprisingly secured 46 per cent of votes, ahead of the incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who received just 39 per cent of votes. Solih is generally viewed as a pro-India leader in the South Asian archipelago.

This is the islands’ fifth election after its transition to a multiparty democracy in 2008. A total of eight candidates are in the fray, with the India-China rivalry bulking larger in the form of a tight contest between the top two leaders.

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If a second round is confirmed, it might take place by the end of this month.

Mohamed Muiz’s China link

Muiz pledged that in the event of winning the presidency, he would act to remove Indian troops stationed in the Maldives and address the country's trade relations, which he believes heavily favour India currently.

Watch:Polls in Maldives closely watched by India & China

Muiz's political party, the People's National Congress, is widely seen as pro-China. Its former leader, Abdullah Yameen, held the presidency from 2013 to 2018, during which time he aligned the Maldives with China's Belt and Road initiative. This initiative aims to develop infrastructure such as ports, railways, and roads to enhance trade and China's influence across Asia, Africa, and Europe.

But concerns also emerged that China’s massive infrastructure projects pushed the nation on the verge of bankruptcy.

India vs China

Both India and China are competing for influence in the Maldives, a small nation consisting of approximately 1,200 coral islands in the Indian Ocean, strategically located along the main shipping route between the East and the West.

Solih was considered the leading candidate among the eight contestants, especially since his main rival, Yameen, was disqualified from running due to his imprisonment on corruption and money laundering charges by the Supreme Court.

Muiz appears to have capitalised on a division within Solih's Maldivian Democratic Party, which prompted Mohamed Nasheed, a charismatic former president, to field his own candidate.

Nasheed's candidate, Ilyas Labeeb, managed to secure 7 per cent of the vote.

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