NEW DELHI: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu’s party is set to secure a massive victory in Sunday’s parliamentary election.
According to local media, Muizzu’s People’s National Congress (PNC) is expected to get more than 60 of the 93 seats in the legislature.
The opposition Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) was on course to win 15 seats.
The number of eligible voters was about 284,000, of whom 72.9 per cent cast their votes to pick 93 representatives from among 368 candidates vying to enter the People’s Majlis.
Maldivians have shown overwhelming support to Muizzu and his development agenda, said Maldives Transport and Aviation Services Minister Mohamed Ameen in a social media post.
“We are humbled today, and will indeed deliver to the nation,” he said.
Muizzu, who won the presidential election last year on the “India out” campaign versus the MDP’s “India first” policy, had appealed for a decisive victory in the parliamentary polls to push his policy agenda that focuses on expanding health, housing, and business infrastructure, raising fish exports, and building close partnerships with key countries including China.
India and China are jockeying for influence in the strategically located nation known for its pristine beaches and top-notch holiday resorts. – BERNAMA
