Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the president-elect of the Maldives (Source: AP Photo/File)
With concerns persisting that President Abdulla Yameen of the Maldives may attempt to hang on to power despite a decisive election defeat last month, a spokesman of President-elect Ibrahim Mohammed Solih said the opposition could not afford to drop guard until the transition had taken place.
The Maldives, which voted for Solih in the September 23 election, remains on edge, with Yameen giving indications that he does not accept the result despite conceding defeat. Meanwhile, former President Mohammed Nasheed, who has lived in exile since 2016 after his conviction on terrorism charges, has said he will return to Maldives on November 1 “come what may”. It is unclear what role Nasheed would have in the new government.
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Mariya Didi, Solih’s spokesperson and an MP, told The Sunday Express that the Election Commission’s announcement of the final results on September 29 had made it much harder to challenge the election’s outcome.
“Moreover, the Maldivian Army and police have vowed to support the will of the people. The entire international community has also welcomed the election result. Nevertheless, we must remain vigilant, especially until the swearing-in of the new president and vice-president,” Didi said in response to emailed questions.
Yameen will remain in office until November 17, when his term is due to end. Earlier this week, Yameen alleged that the Election Commission (EC) had been influenced to declare a result in favour of Solih, a charge that was immediately denied by the EC. Yameen asked his party to hold protests against the results.
Concerns about Yameen clinging on to power were reflected during US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s congratulatory telephone call to Solih on Friday.
Other international acknowledgements of Solih’s election victory continued to pour in. China, which had privileged relations with Yameen, was among the first to congratulate Solih, with a congratulatory note from president Xi Xinping.
On Saturday, Zhang Lizhong, the Chinese Ambassador to the Maldives, followed that up with a call on the President-elect, “And they discussed how China can continue to assist the Maldives with its development, in particular in housing, water and sewerage, and tourism,” according to a release from Solih’s office.
Didi, Solih’s spokesperson, said India and Maldives have had a “close relationship” historically.
“We see eye to eye on many issues: for example, the rule of law, and the peace and stability of the Indian Ocean. There are also very strong people-to-people and cultural ties that bind our two nations together. Recently, the Maldives has gained a reputation internationally as something of a trouble-maker…We need to repair our image and become, once more, a respected and responsible member of the international community,” she said.