Voting is underway in the Maldives for the crucial parliamentary elections, presenting a stern test for President Mohamed Muizzu, known for his staunch India-opposition stance. A political battlefield with eight parties vying for 93 constituencies, the elections have introduced 368 candidates for over 280,000 voters at 602 polling stations, including three overseas polling centers in Colombo, Trivandrum, and Kuala Lumpur.
In his inaugural term, President Mohamed Muizzu's anti-India policy, particularly his decision to send back Indian military personnel from the island nation, faces public judgment. Dr. Muizzu’s PPM-PNC alliance rode to victory in the September 2023 presidential election waving the 'India Out' slogan.
The previous parliament saw the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) with a majority of 44 seats. President Muizzu has faced legislative hurdles without a parliamentary majority. Top issues for Maldivian voters this election cycle include unemployment, infrastructure development, and the struggling economy.
Read the compelling story of how President Muizzu, with his anti-India stance, got entangled in corruption allegations. Dive deep into the leaked reports that sparked major controversies:
Securing a majority is crucial for law-making
Securing a majority is crucial for law-making
India eyes the MDP's potential majority, which would enable effective legislative oversight of executive power. According to the Maldives' constitution, all decisions and government-proposed bills in the parliament must pass by a majority vote.
President Muizzu faces pre-election troubles
President Muizzu faces pre-election troubles
Prior to the elections, President Mohamed Muizzu finds himself in hot water over corruption charges, with the opposition mounting attacks and pushing for investigations. Moreover, they are preparing for possible impeachment proceedings.
According to Maldives news portal mvrepublic.com, the leaked documents suggest irregularities in transactions from Muizzu's personal bank account in 2018, with at least ten transactions flagged as suspicious, indicating financial mismanagement, involvement of politicians in fraud, and misuse of corporate entities to conceal fund sources.
Caught in a whirlwind of legal allegations prior to the elections, MDP leader and former Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid remains optimistic about a victory, criticizing the Muizzu administration for its failures in domestic and international policies over the past five months. Shahid accused Muizzu of rising to power through lies and hatred and halting all development projects.
'The government-owned companies have been threatening employees, with thousands of opposition supporters facing threats of suspension and dismissal based on political affiliation,' said Abdulla Shahid. 'There's also a looming threat of restricted delivery of essential services based on political alignment.'
