Maldives Elections

Will be honoured to attend PM Modi's swearing-in: Maldivian Prez Muizzu

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu said on Saturday that he would be honoured to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony and his visit to India for the historic event would demonstrate that bilateral ties are heading in a positive direction. Muizzu's remarks came as he accepted the invitation to attend Prime Minister Modi's swearing-in ceremony in New Delhi. Modi will be administered the oath of office on Sunday, his third consecutive term as Prime Minister. President Muizzu has accepted the invitation to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi and the Council of Ministers of the Government of India, his office said in a statement. Munu Mahawar, India's Higher Commissioner to the Maldives, presented the letter of invitation to the President during a courtesy call at the President's Office. At the call, the High Commissioner extended greetings from Prime Minister Modi, stating that the Prime Minister is looking forward to having the President attend

India initiated efforts to create FTA between 2 nations: Maldives minister

Maldives on Saturday said India has initiated efforts to create a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries and deliberations are ongoing for achieving it. They (India) want there to be a Free Trade Agreement with Maldives, in addition to SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Agreement), Minister of Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed told a press conference here. The Maldives President has offered this opportunity to all countries, Saeed said, adding that the government aims to enter into agreements with as many countries as possible to offer ease in trade activities. India's reported effort at seeking an FTA with the Maldives comes in the backdrop of an ongoing diplomatic row between the two countries since November last year when President Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took the oath. Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country. The last of the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians earlier

Maldives' Prez Muizzu secures 'supermajority' in parliamentary elections

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu's party secured a "supermajority" in Parliament by winning over 60 seats in Sunday's crucial parliamentary election, seen as a litmus test for the pro-Beijing politician whose policies are being closely watched by both India and China amidst regional power dynamics. According to information released by the Elections Commission (EC), 207,693 people cast their ballots as of 5:00 pm local time, making for a voter turnout of 72.96 per cent. This includes 104,826 men and 102,867 women. A total of 284,663 people were eligible to vote to elect lawmakers for 93 constituencies in the 20th People's Majlis. A total of 368 candidates were in the fray, including 130 independent candidates, 10 candidates from Jumhoory Party (JP), 39 from The Democrats, Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) 4, Adhaalath Party (AP) 4, and Maldives National Party (MNP) 2 nominees. According to a sun.mv news portal report, PNC contested for 90 constituencies, while main opposition ...

Voters endorse Muizzu's pro-China stand in Maldives polls. Worry for India?

Preliminary results show that pro-China Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's political party has won 70 seats, securing a 'super majority', in the nation's parliamentary elections

Voting begins in Maldives in a crucial election for President Muizzu

Maldivians voted in parliamentary elections on Sunday, in a ballot crucial for President Mohamed Muizzu, whose policies are keenly watched by India and China as they vie for influence in the archipelago nation. Both countries are seeking a foothold in the Maldives, which has a strategic location in the Indian Ocean. Muizzu's election as president last year sharpened the rivalry between India and China, with the new leader taking a pro-China stand and acting to remove Indian troops stationed on one of the country's islets. Securing a majority in Parliament will be tough for Muizzu because some of his allies have fallen out and more parties entered the race. Six political parties and independent groups are fielding 368 candidates for 93 seats in Parliament. That is six more seats than the previous Parliament following adjustments for population growth. About 284,000 people were eligible to vote and tentative results were expected to be announced late Sunday. Muizzu's election campa

Suspended Maldives minister apologises after post on Indian flag sparks row

Mariyam Shiuna had shared a social media post showing an opposition party's poster with the Ashok Chakra in the middle

Amid strained ties, Maldives Prez Muizzu seeks debt relief from India

Recently, Maldives Tourism Ministry data showed that the number of Indian tourists visiting the Maldives has dropped by 33 per cent as compared to last year

Maldives govt will scuttle illegal efforts to impeach Prez Muizzu: Minister

Accusing the Opposition of trying to illegally overthrow Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu's government in less than 100 days in power, a senior minister has said the administration would not allow them to do so unless they cut "every vein in our throats". The comments by Minister of Islamic Affairs Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed came on Sunday as he was accompanying Muizzu on his first trip to Addu, the second-largest urban area in the Maldives in terms of population. Pro-China Muizzu, 45, defeated India-friendly incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the presidential runoff held in September last year. Saeed alleged that the government is facing challenges from inside and out, and were being bombarded with the relentless spread of misinformation and baseless rumours, The Edition reported. He said that it is the responsibility of the Opposition to hold the government accountable. However, he said, it is not part of holding a government accountable to attempt to create obstacles for and .

President Muizzu's party loses Male Mayoral poll amid India-Maldives row

In a setback to Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, the pro-India opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has secured a landslide victory in the capital Male's Mayoral election. The MDP candidate, Adam Azim, has been elected as the new mayor of Male, a post held by Muizzu till recently. Muizzu resigned from the position to contest the presidential elections last year. The Maldives media reported Azim's win as a landslide and victory by a large margin. The MDP is headed by pro-India former president Mohammad Solih, who was defeated by Muizzu, a pro-China leader, in the presidential elections. The interim results show that Azim won with 45 per cent of the vote while Azima Shakoor of Muizzu's People's National Congress (PNC) received 29 per cent, PSM News reported. Others who vied for the mayoral seat included Saif Fathih, the candidate of The Democrats, and independent candidates Hussain Waheed and Ali Shuaib. The poll on Saturday was marked by a low turnout, according to ...

Maldives president's party loses Male poll amid diplomatic row with India

In a setback to Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, the pro-India opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has secured a landslide victory in the capital Male's Mayoral election. The MDP candidate, Adam Azim, has been elected as the new mayor of Male, a post held by Muizzu till recently. Muizzu resigned from the position to contest the presidential elections last year. The Maldives media reported Azim's win as a landslide and victory by a large margin. The MDP is headed by pro-India former president Mohammad Solih, who was defeated by Muizzu, a pro-China leader, in the presidential elections. With 41 boxes counted, Azim has taken a huge lead with 5,303 votes. His rival Aishath Azima Shakoor of Muizzu's People's National Congress (PNC) got 3,301 votes, Maldives' Sun Online news portal reported. The poll on Saturday was marked by a low turnout, according to reports. The Mayoral election victory is expected to revive the political fortunes of the MDP, which still holds a majority

Maldives' ruling coalition deployed anti-India sentiments during 2023 polls

The ruling coalition of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the People's National Congress (PNC) deployed anti-India sentiments and attempted to spread disinformation around this theme during the on the 2023 presidential elections, according to a report issued by the European Union. The European Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Maldives published its final report on Tuesday on the two rounds of election that took place on September 9 and 30 last year. Following an 11-week-long observation in the archipelagic nation in the Indian Ocean, upon the invitation of national authorities, the EU EOM found the campaign run by the PPM-PNC coalition was based on fears of Indian influences on the nation. "EU EOM observers noted instances of derogatory language, directed towards the president, on the side of PPM-PNC, reads the report. Their campaign included anti-Indian sentiments, based on fears of Indian influences and anxiety regarding a presence of Indian military personnel insid

Maldives Prez Muizzu meets Chinese counterpart Xi amid row with India

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday held talks with his Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Muizzu, who is on a five-day state visit, amid a diplomatic row with India over derogatory remarks by his ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. President Muizzu was accorded a red carpet welcome and a 21-gun salute. Official media reported that Xi and Muizzu held talks, without sharing the details. Muizzu, who is regarded as a pro-China leader, is visiting China amid the row with India after some Maldivian ministers posted derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Modi leading to a spate of cancellations of reservations by Indian tourists, who constitute the largest number of visitors to the tourism-dependent island nation. Besides talks with Xi, Muizzu is expected to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang and other senior officials before his return to Male on January 12. Muizzu reached Beijing last night after staying in the Chinese city of Fujian for two days. In his address to the Mal

Maldives Prez Muizzu arrives in China, set to sign several agreements

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu arrived here on Monday on a five-day state visit during which he is due to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and sign several agreements to bolster the bilateral ties. Muizzu, who is regarded as pro-China, is accompanied by his wife Sajidha Mohamed and a high-level delegation. The President and the First Lady were greeted by senior Chinese officials upon their arrival. Muizzu's maiden visit to China, however, has been marred by a huge diplomatic row triggered by the derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by some Maldivian ministers after he posted a video of him on a pristine beach during his visit to Lakshadweep. The Maldivian envoy to India was on Monday summoned to the external affairs ministry and conveyed strong concern over remarks. Muizzu is due to hold talks with Chinese President Xi and sign several agreements to bolster the bilateral ties, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang ...

A year in politics: A recap of all key global events that shaped 2023

From geopolitical conflicts to historic political shifts, 2023 has been a year of significant milestones. Dive into the key political events that left an indelible mark on the world stage

Pro-China candidate Mohamed Muizzu wins Maldives presidential election

The run-off was seen as having significant implications for the Maldives's foreign policy, especially in deciding China and India's battle for influence in the strategically-located country

Challenges galore for current regime in the Maldives: Nooshin Waheed

Waheed delves upon how radicalisation is a serious problem in her country but is also positive that the strong policies by the current regime will help in dealing with it

Maldives polls: SC rejects Yameen's bid to annul result, upholds his defeat

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih emerged as the winner in the September 23 polls, beating President Abdulla Yameen