Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's party, the People's National Congress (PNC), achieved a significant milestone by winning 70 seats in the country's parliamentary elections, granting them a "super majority." The election results suggested strong support for Muizzu's pro-Beijing foreign policy stance, with both India and China closely monitoring the outcome due to regional power dynamics in the Indian Ocean archipelago.
The PNC led by Muizzu emerged victorious in Sunday's polls, with coalition partners Maldives National Party (MNP) and Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) securing one and two seats, respectively. In contrast, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) led by former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, perceived as a pro-India leader, faced a significant drop in seats from 65 to 15 in this election, according to reports from Mihaaru, a local news website. Muizzu, known for his pro-China inclinations, has expressed intentions to diminish India's influence in the Maldives.
Local media labeled the PNC's landslide triumph in the recent election as a "super majority," highlighting the party's dominance across various regions in the country. The official results for the parliamentary election in the Maldives, strategically located in the Indian Ocean, are expected to be released later this week, with a total of 368 candidates competing, including a notable percentage of women candidates. Despite a record-low voter turnout in this election, with only about 75% of eligible voters casting their ballots, the PNC's victory signifies a significant shift in the political landscape of the Maldives.