Reuters —Opposition candidate Mohamed Muizzu has won the Maldives presidential election, beating incumbent President Ibrahim Solih in a second-round runoff that could herald a pro-China shift for the Indian Ocean archipelago from traditional partner India. About 85% of 282,000 eligible voters in the Maldives, known for its pristine beaches and high-end resorts, turned up at more than 586 polling stations across 187 islands. “Today the people made a strong decision to win back Maldives independence,” Muizzu told reporters in the capital, Male. “All of us, working together with unity, Insha Allah, we will be successful.”Muizzu also called on President Solih to release Yameen to house arrest. “India remains committed to strengthening the time-tested India-Maldives bilateral relationship and enhancing our overall cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region,” Modi said on X.

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Persons: Mohamed Muizzu, Ibrahim Solih, Muizzu, ” Solih, Solih, Abdulla Yameen, ” Muizzu, Insha Allah, Yameen, Narendra Modi, ” Modi Organizations: Reuters, India, Solih, “, Maldives, Indian Locations: China, Maldives, India