Male: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu’s ruling coalition scored a landslide victory in April 21 parliamentary election, securing an absolute majority in Parliament as voters endorsed his government’s policy to align the Indian Ocean archipelago more closely with China.
The election result could further strain relations between the Maldives and India, already at a low over Muizzu’s efforts to reduce his country’s dependence on New Delhi in areas ranging from defense to food security and healthcare.
Results declared by the Maldives’ Elections Commission and reports by the local media showed Muizzu’s People’s National Congress (PNC) party and its allies, Maldives National Party (MNP) and Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), would have more than 70 seats or a “super majority” in the 93-member People’s Majlis or Parliament.
The victory will strengthen Muizzu’s grip on power and allow his government to push through several China-funded projects without being stymied by the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which had a majority in the outgoing Parliament and blocked several of the president’s decisions.
The MDP, which lost last year’s presidential election and followed an “India First” policy, won less than a dozen seats – fewer than a fifth of the 65 seats it held in the outgoing Parliament. More than 284,000 voters were eligible to participate in the polls, and officials put the turnout at more than 75%.
