Maldives oppn candidate wins polls, Yameen concedes defeat
ACCEPTING MANDATE Prez soothes concerns he will seek to remain in power, says will yield to electoral result
Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won the contentious presidential election in the Maldives on Monday, convincingly defeating incumbent Abdulla Yameen in what was widely seen as a referendum on the Indian Ocean archipelago’s fragile democracy.
“This is a moment of happiness, a moment of hope,” Solih told reporters in Male. “This is a journey that has ended at the ballot box because the people willed it.”
Solih, who was fielded by the combined opposition, including the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is expected to take charge on November 17, when Yameen’s five-year term ends.
Yameen, who cultivated ties with China and Saudi Arabia, conceded defeat after the Election Commission said Solih had won Sunday’s election by a margin of 16.7%. The final official result will take up to a week to be published.
The concession and the results were a surprise to the Maldives’ opposition, who had feared Yameen would rig the vote in his favour. Since his election in 2013, the strongman cracked down on political dissent, jailing rivals, including his half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the first democratically elected president, and even Supreme Court judges.
But Yameen soothed concerns over a possible messy transfer of power in a televised address to the nation. “Maldivian people have decided what they want. I have accepted the results from yesterday. Earlier today, I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who the Maldivian electorate has chosen to be their next presi- dent. I have congratulated him,” he said.
Solih, 56, has already said he will seek to free all political prisoners, including former president Gayoom. He also wants to rework or scrap deals not made in the best interests of the Maldives, and restore ties with India, which could strain relations with China.
He must also keep together the opposition coalition that includes two fierce rivals, Gayoom and former president Mohamed Nasheed.
Sohil was a democracy activist during decades of autocratic rule and a former Parliament majority leader. He became the MDP’s presidential candidate after other top figures, including Nasheed, were jailed or exiled by Yameen’s government.
A close confidant of Nasheed and married to one of his cousins, Solih played a leading role in forming the Maldives Political Reform Movement from 2003 until 2008, which culminated in the adoption of a new Constitution.
He campaigned door to door, speaking at rallies about human rights and the rule of law — a message that resonated with voters, who saw signs the Maldives was slipping back to autocratic rule, just a decade after achieving democracy.
MDP leader Nasheed, in exile in Sri Lanka, had hoped to run again but was disqualified because of an outstanding prison sentence.
India and the US congratulated Solih — popularly known as “Ibu” — on his victory even before Yameen conceded.
“This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of
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