Maldives votes out pro-China president

Solih declares victory after years of government suppression

Atiny island nation caught between India and China has elected an opposition candidate as its next president, a surprise result after years of authoritarian rule.

Maldives opposition candidate Ebrahim Mohammad Solih declared victory in Sunday’s election after years of government suppression and the jailing of political opponents. The US and India have urged the Maldives government of President Abdulla Yameen to recognise the election win.

Yameen conceded defeat later yesterday, ending speculation about whether he would attempt to hold onto power.

Independent news website Mihaaru.com showed Solih with 58.4 per cent of the vote compared to Yameen’s 41.6 per cent. Voter turnout was nearly 90 per cent, the website said.

This victory in the Maldives could have geopolitical significance. Like Sri Lanka, where a state-owned Chinese firm now owns and operates a sensitive port, the Maldives is strategically located in the Indian Ocean and has served as a battleground for India and China as both seek influence in South Asia.

Solih’s Maldivian Democratic Party has taken an antiChina stance. Exiled former Maldives president and party founder Mohammad Nasheed previously told Reuters China has pulled his country into a “debt trap.”

AP Opposition presidential candidate Ebrahim Mohammad Solih (third left) and his running mate, Faisal Naseem (third right) celebrate their victory in the poll yesterday.