Maldives presidential elections headed for a runoff on September 30

New Delhi: The Maldives' 2023 presidential election has taken an unexpected turn, heading into a runoff after none of the eight candidates managed to secure over 50 per cent of the votes. The highly contested race concluded its polling at 04:00 pm on Saturday, leaving the nation in suspense. President Solih, initially seen as the frontrunner, will now face opposition candidate Dr. Mohamed Muizzu in a runoff scheduled for September 30.

In the runoff, President Solih will confront a single opponent, but he may face challenges from his own party colleagues who defected and now may support the opposition candidate. Preliminary results from the Presidential Election 2023 show President Solih secured 39 per cent of the votes, totalling 85,809 votes, while Dr Mohamed Muizzu leads with 46 per cent, amounting to 100,959 votes.

The winner between President Solih and Dr. Mohamed Muizzu will be determined in the runoff vote scheduled for September 30. Both India China and some other countries will be monitoring the polls with much interest. The final campaign between the two candidates is now going to take a massive interest.

Other candidates in the race trailed far behind, with The Democrats candidate Ilyas Labeeb winning just seven per cent of the vote, and former home minister Umar Naseer and JP’s candidate and leader Qasim Ibrahim securing 2.8 per cent. Independent candidate Ahmed Faris Maumoon won one per cent, while MNP’s candidate Colonel (Retired) Mohamed Nazim and Hassan Zameel failed to secure even one per cent.

Historically, the Maldives has consistently gone to runoffs in presidential elections with more than two candidates. Elections in 2008 and 2013 both required runoffs, while only two candidates contested the 2018 election.

Afterwards, President Solih addressed the press, acknowledging the need to form alliances considering the runoff. He mentioned, "No matter what, we will need to form some allies now. I believe PPM will also work [to make allies], and so will we." He also stated that they would begin working towards winning the second round immediately.

Of the Maldivian population, 58 per cent turned out to vote in the high-profile presidential elections. Maldives Police Service reported the detention of six individuals due to incidents linked to the ongoing presidential election.

Voting began at 8:00 AM local time in the island country, with voters queuing up as early as 7:00 AM at numerous polling stations in the capital city, Male. A total of 282,395 eligible voters, including over 27,000 first-time participants.

This year's contest featured eight presidential candidates vying for the top office, marking an unprecedented level of diversity in the race, with five from political parties and three running as independent candidates.

Voting booths remained accessible to the electorate until 4:00 PM, and vote counting commenced at 4:30 PM. A network of 574 polling stations was set up across the nation, and ballot boxes were strategically stationed in five foreign countries, including Sri Lanka, Malaysia, India, the United Kingdom, and Abu Dhabi.

While the G20 Summit in New Delhi captured global attention with over 45 Heads of States and International Organizations convening to discuss economic growth, the nearby Maldives was overshadowed and witnessed a fiercely contested political battle. The presidential election in the Maldives carries the potential for global implications and is not to be underestimated.

Despite its small size and tranquil reputation, the Maldives holds a unique geopolitical position in the Indo-Pacific region. In an era marked by escalating global interests, multilateral powers like the QUAD alliance, as well as individual nations such as India, China, and the United States, closely observe the Maldives' political alignment and its potential role as a kingmaker in the evolving Indo-Pacific landscape.