“A welcome sound for Beijing”: Is China the new president of the Maldives?
Mohamed Muizzu’s election win is a setback for India, a boost for China and a sign of tensions in the Indian Ocean region, say analysts.
The Maldives has a population of half a million people scattered across more than 1,000 islands. But last weekend, the picturesque archipelago delivered an electoral verdict that has sent shock waves around the world — and especially across the Indian Ocean region.
Mohamed Muizzu, the opposition candidate, emerged victorious in the presidential run-off on Saturday and secured 54 percent of the vote, results released by the electoral commission showed.
Muizzu, who backs closer ties between the Maldives and China, defeated the incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who is widely perceived as pro-India.
“With today’s result, we have got the