Male: Armed with a ‘super majority’ in the parliamentary polls, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has said the international community will now understand where the Maldivians stand, especially on the issue of sovereignty and freedom.
The pro-China Maldivian president’s statement came at a celebratory event on Monday, a day after the People’s National Congress (PNC), led by him, won 68 out of 93 seats in Sunday’s polls and its coalition partners Maldives National Party (MNP) and Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) won one and two seats, respectively, taking the total to more than two-thirds in the People’s Majlis.
A majority in Parliament would mean that Muizzu’s party has control not just over lawmaking
but also over the legislature which ratifies the laws; which till now had two opposing coalitions and saw several instances of a conflict between the government and the legislature.
The PNC’s “super majority” in parliamentary elections is being seen as a strong endorsement of his pro-Beijing foreign policy, as both
India and China closely watched the outcome of the polls in the strategically-located archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean.
Muizzu, 45, rode to power last year on the ‘India Out’ plank and since assuming office in November 2023, has visited China and cemented Male’s ties with Beijing, including in the defence sector.
Ahead of the parliamentary elections, the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), led by pro-India former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had advocated restoring ties with India. The MDP, however, won only 15 seats.
Muizzu said, “We are a proud nation that loves sovereignty and freedom, which we have shown to the international community as
well.”