Maldives results: What does the victory of Muizzu’s party mean for regional relations?
FirstpostApr 22
According to preliminary results Monday, Maldivian Pres. Mohamed Muizzu's People's National Congress party has won the country's parliamentary elections — winning 71 of 93 seats.
The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, led by former Pres. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, won 15 seats in Sunday's vote. It held an absolute majority in the previous parliament with 65 seats.
With Muizzu's party securing a supermajority, it's clear voters have strongly endorsed his pro-China stand. Now he has the political muscle to reduce India's long-standing influence on the Maldives, push forward a more balanced foreign policy, and foster closer economic and defense cooperation with global powerhouse China.
Unfortunately, this vote will accelerate the Maldives' shift away from traditional ally India in favor of China, which has been aggressive on the world stage. Plus, Muizzu's two-thirds majority in parliament could allow him to destroy the country's democratic values. He can amend the constitution, control the judiciary, and compromise national sovereignty by giving China too much influence.
There's a 15% chance that there will be a China-India war by Jan. 1, 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.