Will Maldives see closer ties with India under Ibrahim Mohamed Solih?
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
The recent transition of power in the Maldives is expected to transform the relationship between India and the Indian Ocean archipelago nation.
Maldives which was initially dependent on India for its security and trade moved towards Chinasince 2013 afterAbdulla Yameen took to power.
Since then the island country had received significant grants and loan from China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Maldives also utilised the funds that it had received from China in advancing the international airport in the capital of Male and a bridge connecting the airport to town.
The Chinese investment in the Maldives is seen as part of its "String of Pearls" strategy, developing a network of friendly ports in the region from Sri Lanka to Pakistan.
Before the election, the opposition said it would review Chinese investment, partly out of concern over terms, as experts have warned that the Maldives risked falling into a debt trap.
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Maldives failure in paying off the debts may throw the country in a serious debt trap as it may have to face adverse consequence just like Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka had to sell off a majority of its stake in the Hambantota port to China after it failed to pay off the debts.
While new power in the Maldives seems to have an inclination towards India, Maldives may not ignore China due to its unparalleled funding which India can certainly not match.
A media report quoted Alyssa Ayres, a senior South Asia fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations as saying that asIbrahim Mohamed Solih's pro-democracy government is more politically aligned with New Delhi, he is likely to repair ties with India and "veer back to the more traditional close regional partnership".
Veteran Maldives lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih overcame the detention and exile of key opposition figures to win a weekend presidential poll and unseat incumbent Abdulla Yameen
The victory of Solih, who is known as a reformer, dislodges Yameen, a hardliner who had cultivated ties with both Beijing and Saudi Arabia, and cracked down on threats to his rule, even jailing his own half-brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
(With inputs from agencies)