Maldives leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih conceded defeat in Saturday’s presidential vote after an official count showed his opponent Mohamed Muizzu in an unassailable lead.
“Congratulations to the winner of the presidential election Muizzu. Thank you for the beautiful democratic example shown by the people in the elections. Thank you to the MDP and AP members who worked together and to all the people who voted for me,” Solih wrote on X after the Elections Commission of the Maldives showed his opponent winning 54 per cent of ballots.
https://x.com/ibusolih/status/1708176932452569402?s=20
Muizzu was leading the count with 54% of the vote against 46% won by Solih, local media reported.
Parliament Speaker and former President Mohamed Nasheed also took to his official X account and congratulated Muizzu on his second-round victory.
“Congratulations, President-elect Dr. @MMuizzu”, he said in a post on X.
https://x.com/MohamedNasheed/status/1708153997348229157?s=20
Foreign Minister of Maldives Abdulla Shahid also took to social media platform X and congratulated Mohamed Muizzu for winning the elections.
“Congratulations to President-elect Dr Mohamed Muizzu for winning the Presidential Election 2023. Many congratulations and much gratitude to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, for the many seeds of hope he had sown over the last 5 years, which will surely reap much prosperity for our country and people,” he wrote.
Voters in Maldives lined up at polling stations on Saturday (Sep 30) to cast their ballot in a run-off presidential election that is also being considered as a virtual referendum on which country, India or China, will have the most significant influence in the Indian Ocean archipelago nation.
Frontrunner Mohamed Muizzu, who is viewed as a strong pro-China contender, led incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih by 6 percentage points in the first round of voting that took place earlier in September.
Muizzu secured a surprise lead with over 46 per cent, whereas Solih, who supervised the restoration of ties with India, followed at 39 per cent.
Thousands turned out early at over 586 polling stations across 187 islands. Maldivians also voted at polling stations in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Britain and Abu Dhabi.
