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

Vikrant Singh

Source Link

The incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of Maldives.

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.