Maldives Election: President Muizzu’s Party Emerges Victorious, Impact on India Explored

The PNC, which contested 90 out of the 93 seats in the Maldivian parliament Majlis, has won 66 out of the 86 seats for which results had been declared. This is more than a two-thirds majority in the House. This result will enable President Muizzu, seen as anti-India, to push policies through the parliament. The seat tally is a cause for concern for New Delhi, as Male has been leaning towards Beijing ever since President Muizzu was elected.

Before this election, PNC was part of an alliance that was in the minority in the House. This meant that even though Muizzu was president, he did not have the political muscle to push through policies. The Majlis was then dominated by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), led by Muizzu’s pro-India predecessor Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, with 41 members. MDP is headed for a humiliating defeat this time, with wins in just a dozen seats.

Earlier, while the MDP-dominated House blocked many of Muizzu’s plans, members of the Opposition publicly flagged and criticized his anti-India position. A senior aide of Muizzu had commented to a news agency, “He (Muizzu) came to power on a promise to send back Indian troops, and he is working on it. The parliament has not been cooperating.” This result changes that.

This election was seen as a test for Muizzu’s plans to boost economic cooperation with China. Since taking over, the president has awarded major infrastructure contracts to Chinese state-owned companies. His party’s electoral victory is set to clear most obstacles for him. President Muizzu also pushed for the exit of 80-odd Indian soldiers who were stationed on the island for humanitarian work.

Last month, however, Muizzu appeared to be extending an olive branch when he acknowledged India’s financial support to Male and said “India will remain the Maldives’ closest ally”. India has so far adopted a restrained approach and downplayed the strained ties. Asked about New Delhi-Male relations after Muizzu’s election, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar had said neighbors need each other. “History and geography are very powerful forces.

There is no escape from that,” he had remarked.