AMN / WEB DESK
In Maldives, the People’s National Congress (PNC) secured a landslide win in the parliamentary elections held yesterday. The PNC clinched over 66 seats, solidifying its position in the political landscape of the nation. The official results are yet to be announced by the Elections Commission of Maldives. The results follow the usual pattern of ruling party winning at the parliamentary elections since 2013. Dr. Mohammed Muizzu had won the Presidential election as a PPM-PNC candidate last year.
The elections were a crucial litmus test for President Muizzu’s party, which had been facing intense scrutiny over allegations of corruption and its policy decisions. The party also faced the challenge of countering the vote split caused by the breakaway faction of Former President Yameen.
The main opposition, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which had previously won a supermajority in the 2019 elections, returned with at least 11 seats. Chairman of the MDP, Fayyaz Ismail, graciously congratulated the PNC MPs and expressed the party’s commitment to working with the government to uphold democratic values and ensure accountability as a responsible opposition force.
In addition, only three women from out of the 43 who had contested emerged victorious.
With over 2.8 lakh voters participating across 602 polling stations, including three stations abroad, media reports claimed a turnout of 75%.
Parliamentary elections hold significant importance in Maldives, as the People’s Majlis ratifies proposals and bills of the government. Elected governments strive to secure a majority in parliament to ensure smooth administration, protect the presidential tenure from impeachment threats, and prevent the politicization of policies during their term.
It is noteworthy that Maldives figures prominently in India’s Neighbourhood First policy with India having contributed to socio economic development of the archipelago nation. Several High Impact Community Development Projects and major infrastructure projects are being implemented by India in Maldives. Apart from this, India has remained as the first responder in several crises in Maldives in the past.