Maldives President Abdulla Yameen conceded defeat to opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Monday in a presidential election.

NEW DELHI: Maldives President Abdulla Yameen conceded defeat to opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Monday in a presidential election.

"Maldivian people have decided what they want. I have accepted the results from yesterday. Earlier today, I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who the Maldivian electorate has chosen to be their next president. I have congratulated him," Yameen said in a televised press conference.

The country's Elections Commission said Solih won by a margin of 16.7 percent in Sunday's vote. </s> NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Maldives President Abdulla Yameen conceded defeat to opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Monday in a presidential election.

“Maldivian people have decided what they want. I have accepted the results from yesterday. Earlier today, I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who the Maldivian electorate has chosen to be their next president. I have congratulated him,” Yameen said in a televised press conference.

The country’s Elections Commission said Solih won by a margin of 16.7 percent in Sunday’s vote. </s> The Maldives' leader Abdulla Yameen on Monday conceded defeat to opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the country's presidential elections.

The election commission on Monday declared the Maldivian Democratic Party's Solih the winner with 134,616 or 58.3 percent of the votes, compared to 96,132 votes (41.5 percent) secured by Yameen, backed by the Progressive Party of Maldives. </s> New Delhi: With flags raised high and dancing on the streets, Maldives cheers for its new President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who defeated Abdulla Yameen in the 2018 presidential election to claim the title. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won the elections with 134,616 votes. He registered the victory with the backing of a united opposition trying to oust Abdulla Yameen. His party struggled for visibility with the electorate and the media, but the outcome turned out to be favourable. Abdulla Yameen on Monday conceded defeat in elections, easing fears of a fresh political crisis in Maldives. The Indian External Affairs Ministry called for deepening country's partnership and ties with Maldives with a change in the leadership. "This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law," the statement said. </s> Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was announced the winner of the Maldives' presidential election on Monday, after claiming an unassailable lead over strongman President Abdulla Yameen.

The Maldives electoral commission released provisional results declaring Solih the winner with 58.3 percent of the vote.

In his victory speech, Soli described the win as a "moment of happiness, hope and history."

"I call on Yameen to respect the will of the people and bring about a peaceful, smooth transfer of power," said Solih. "The message is loud and clear. People want justice and stability and we will ensure accountability."

Election watchdog Transparency Maldives also tweeted a statement on the vote, saying: "Based on our quick count, we are confident to announce that Mr. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won the 2018 presidential election."

President concedes defeat

Later on Monday, President Yameen conceded defeat to Solih during a live television address and promised to ensure a smooth transition for the president-elect.

"I have accepted the results from yesterday," Yameen said. "I know I have to step down. I will enable a smooth transition."

Yameen oversaw a sweeping crackdown on political dissent during his five years in office, detaining several rivals including his own half brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had himself ruled the country for 30 years.

In keeping with the constitution, Yameen said he would complete his term on November 17 before handing over the presidency.

Contentious vote

Solih's victory marks a major upset after polls had largely predicted Yameen to win. The president's purge of the opposition also saw most of the opposition media muzzled.

Solih, who campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, also warned that the president's backers could try to rig the election. His party offices were raided the night before voting began.

Despite the looming threats of disturbances, the Foreign Ministry said that there was no reported violence and that voting went ahead "smoothly and peacefully."

More than a quarter of a million people were eligible to vote out of the island nation's population of around 400,000. According to the electoral commission, turnout was particularly high at 89.2 percent.

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Some cast their vote because they wanted to see change.

"I am voting to revert a mistake I made in 2013," Nazima Hassan told Reuters news agency. "I am voting to free President Maumoon Gayoom."

As the first signs of an opposition upset became clear, Solih's supporters flooded the streets of the capital, Male, embracing one another and waving Maldivian flags.

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International reaction

Regional superpower India, which is competing with China for influence in the region, was the first country to "heartily congratulate" Solih on his victory, followed by neighboring Sri Lanka, home to many Maldivian dissidents.

Indian daily The Hindu quoted the Maldives' ambassador to India as saying that Solih would assume the presidency on November 17 once Yameen's five-year term has ended.

China, however, which has loaned Yameen's government hundreds of millions of dollars for infrastructure investments, had yet to comment, with Monday being a public holiday.

dm, ls/rt (AP, AFP)

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. </s> Opposition candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, won the contentious presidential election in the Maldives on Monday, convincingly defeating incumbent, Abdulla Yameen, in what was widely seen as a referendum on the Indian Ocean archipelago’s fragile democracy.

“This is a moment of happiness, a moment of hope,” Solih told reporters in Male. “This is a journey that has ended at the ballot box because the people willed it.”

Solih, who was fielded by the combined opposition, including the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), is expected to take charge on November 17, when Yameen’s five-year term ends.

Yameen, who cultivated ties with China and Saudi Arabia, conceded defeat after the Election Commission said Solih had won Sunday’s election by a margin of 16.7%. The final official result will take up to a week to be published.

The concession and the results were a surprise to the Maldives’ opposition, who had feared Yameen would rig the vote in his favour. Since his election in 2013, the strongman cracked down on political dissent, jailing rivals, including his half-brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the first democratically elected president, and even Supreme Court judges.

But Yameen soothed concerns over a possible messy transfer of power in a televised address to the nation. “Maldivian people have decided what they want. I have accepted the results from yesterday. Earlier today, I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who the Maldivian electorate has chosen to be their next president. I have congratulated him,” he said.

Solih, 56, has already said he will seek to free all political prisoners, including former president, Gayoom. He also wants to rework or scrap deals not made in the best interests of the Maldives, and restore ties with India, which could strain relations with China.

He must also keep together the opposition coalition that includes two fierce rivals, Gayoom and former president, Mohamed Nasheed.

Sohil was a democracy activist during decades of autocratic rule and a former Parliament majority leader. He became the MDP’s presidential candidate after other top figures, including Nasheed, were jailed or exiled by Yameen’s government.

A close confidant of Nasheed and married to one of his cousins, Solih played a leading role in forming the Maldives Political Reform Movement from 2003 until 2008, which culminated in the adoption of a new Constitution.

He campaigned door to door, speaking at rallies about human rights and the rule of law — a message that resonated with voters, who saw signs the Maldives was slipping back to autocratic rule, just a decade after achieving democracy.

MDP leader, Nasheed, in exile in Sri Lanka, had hoped to run again but was disqualified because of an outstanding prison sentence.

India and the US congratulated Solih — popularly known as “Ibu” — on his victory even before Yameen conceded.

“This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law,” India’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “India looks forward to working closely with the Maldives in further deepening our partnership.”

Solih’s win presents an opportunity for India to rebuild the traditionally strong ties between the two countries in order to counter China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean region.

The US state department congratulated the people of the Maldives for having a peaceful, democratic vote. A statement from spokeswoman Heather Nauert noted the opposition victory and urged “calm and respect for the will of the people” as the election process was being concluded.

Both New Delhi and Washington had been concerned by Beijing’s growing influence in the Maldives and the island nation’s lurch toward more hardline attitudes on religious issues during Yameen’s five years in power.

China has poured billions of dollars into infrastructure projects, including an extension to the international airport in the Maldives and a bridge linking it to the capital Male.

Before the election, the opposition said it will review Chinese investments, partly out of concern over the level of debt entailed, with experts warning the government could fall into a debt trap. The Chinese investment is seen as part of its “String of Pearls” strategy, developing a network of friendly ports in the region from Sri Lanka to Pakistan.

India and Western nations are worried the strategy ultimately aims to help China’s military extend its reach. </s> Amid vote rigging, political turmoil in the Maldives, Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih defeated incumbent Abdulla Yameen on Monday, September 24, in the presidential polls, in which took place in small island nation after 2008. Progressive party of the Maldives headed by Abdullah Yameen conceded defeat by congratulating the new president, by saying, “I accept that result.”

59-year old Yameen had faced international criticism over his recent wide-range clamp down on dissent, detaining Supreme Court judges, and for declaring a 45-day emergency in the small island nation. Results were announced by the Elections Commission on Monday morning, which showed that Solih 58.3 %.

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Meanwhile, the Election commission had announced 3 hours of extension of voting, as the voter turnout was massive in the Maldives. A report by The Hindu said the final voter turnout in the Maldives was over 85%.

After the final voting, Solih won with 58% of the vote, or 134,616, while Yameen garnered 96,142 votes or 42 %, the official data said.

Celebrations broke out across the troubled island nation with Opposition supporters carrying the yellow flag of Solih’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

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ALSO READ: Imran Khan says Pakistan’s offer of friendship to India should not be considered as weakness </s> Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s candidate, was on Monday declared the winner of the country’s presidential election held on Sunday amid political turmoil in the island nation, with incumbent President Abdulla Yameen conceding defeat.

The Election Commission earlier in the day declared Solih the winner with 134,616 or 58.3 per cent of the votes, compared to 96,132 votes or 41.5 per cent secured by Yameen, backed by the Progressive Party of Maldives, reports Efe news.

Solih will be sworn in on November 17 and his term is expected to continue until 2023.

“I know that I have to step down now,” Yameen, who has been accused of crushing dissent in the archipelago, said in a short speech from the presidential office.

Yameen, whose rule was marred by accusations of despotism, said he accepted the decision made by the people, and urged them “to remain calm and ensure the smooth transition of power”.

In his victory speech, Solih said: “The message is loud and clear. The people of Maldives want change, peace and justice.”

India, which is concerned with the political instability in the Maldives, also welcomed the result.

“We welcome the successful completion of the third presidential election process in the Maldives which, according to preliminary information, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won,” the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The island country, home to around 22,000 Indians, is of strategic importance to New Delhi also due to its growing proximity with China.

Exiled former President Mohamed Nasheed said on Twitter that Solih had done “an extremely good service” to the people of Maldives.

These were the third democratic elections in the country, after the adoption of the Constitution in 2008, which paved the road for the establishment of a multi-party democracy in the archipelago.

Sunday’s elections saw a high turnout of 89.22 per cent of the 263,000 eligible voters, the Commission said.

The European Union and US had earlier voiced concerns about the election, with both threatening to impose targeted sanctions if the democratic situation did not improve.

The upheaval in the archipelago worsened after the Supreme Court in February quashed the convictions of nine opposition figures, among them Nasheed, who was ousted from office in 2012.

But after Yameen declared a state of emergency and ordered the arrest of two judges, the court reversed its decision. </s> The new president of the Maldives was sworn in Saturday at a ceremony attended by some 12,000 invitees, including the prime minister of India, but with the notable absence of his campaign rival, who could face an investigation into his human rights record while in power.

As a candidate for the opposition coalition, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih swept to victory against former president Abdulla Yameen in the September election, prompting the latter to unsuccessfully challenge the results in the small Indian Ocean country's top court.
Outgoing president Abdulla Yameen concedes defeat to opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.