Maldives president's party secures majority in Majlis

President Abdulla Yameen's Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and its coalition partners today secured a clear majority in the parliament, a media report said.
The government-aligned candidates secured 46 seats while the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), led by former president Mohamed Nasheed, got only 19 seats, according to preliminary results in the polls to the 85-member Majlis.
Four independent candidates have also won in the 18th Parliamentary elections held yesterday, Haveeru daily reported.
The opposition MDP secured the majority from the two major cities in the Maldives. Out of the 13 seats in Male, MDP won seven seats while PPM won the remaining six seats. In Addu City, MDP won five out of the seven seats.

The results, however, are subject to change as counting of some ballot boxes were still pending, the report said.
In the election, a total of 302 candidates, including 114 independents, had contested the 85 seats.
The poll was carried out amid fears about the ability of the elections commission to stage the ballot successfully following the sacking of chief and deputy by the Supreme Court.
About two-thirds of the 240,000-strong electorate have turned out to vote, according to preliminary estimates.