Maldives: President's party set for landslide win
April 7, 2019
Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's Maldivian Democratic Party seems set to win the country's parliamentary elections, provisional results showed on Sunday.
The MDP was set to secure 59 of 87 parliamentary seats in Saturday's elections, with a turnout of almost 80 percent.
Although official results were still forthcoming, former President Mohamed Nasheed (above), and the Solih party were hailing the victory in the capital Male.
"Our foremost duty is to bring peace to the government," said Nasheed.
Read more: The Maldives seeks political stability in crucial parliamentary vote
The elections saw a dramatic comeback of Nasheed , who is set to take over the leadership of the national parliament after winning a seat in the legislature.
Nasheed returned to the country just five months ago after his former deputy Solih won an unexpected victory against Abdulla Yameen in the September presidential elections for the MDP, which Yameen barred Nasheed from contesting.
First vote since downfall of Yameen
It is the first national vote since autocratic former president and Nasheed's archrival Yameen was forced to stand down after his five-year term, facing charges of money laundering and embezzlement.
The Elections Commission is expected to release official results by Sunday afternoon, but final results won't be endorsed until April 12 after ballot papers from overseas polling stations in Britain, India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka have been received.
law/tj (AFP, dpa)