Pro-China party led by Muizzu wins by landslide

Tuesday, 23 April 2024 01:18 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu’s party has won a landslide victory in a Parliamentary election, cementing his grip on power.

Provisional results show the People’s National Congress (PNC) won 66 seats in the 93-member house. Analysts view the victory as strong backing for Muizzu’s policy to achieve close ties with China. Muizzu, who is widely seen as pro-China, wants to reduce India’s longstanding influence in his country.

Local media have described the PNC’s win, which will be ratified in several days’ time, as a “super majority”. It has achieved the two-thirds in Parliament that is required to amend the Constitution.

The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has managed to win only 15 seats. Prior to Sunday’s vote it had the majority of seats in parliament.

“This is a remarkable achievement for Muizzu,” says Azim Zahir, a Maldives analyst and a lecturer at the University of Western Australia.

“From a political institutional view, Muizzu now effectively controls everything. He could theoretically control judiciary too as he has enough numbers in Parliament,” Zahir says.

Muizzu came to power late last year and his campaign was centred on ending the country’s “India first” policy, that was adopted by the previous Government. He has yet to embark on an official visit to Delhi.

He has promised to send home all Indian troops based in the Maldives, to reduce Delhi’s influence.