Maldives Holds Parliamentary Election Amid India-China Rivalry

Male, The Maldives began voting in a parliamentary election on Sunday, a key test for President Mohamed Muizzu’s pro-China shift away from traditional ally India. The results are likely to shape the country’s foreign policy and influence in the Indian Ocean region.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Muizzu, 45, was among the first to vote at the Tajuddin school in the capital, Male. Election chief Fuad Thaufeeq encouraged the 284,663 eligible voters to cast their ballots early. Polling stations across the Maldives will remain open for nine and a half hours.

The Maldives, known for its luxury tourism and pristine beaches, has emerged as a significant geopolitical hotspot in the Indian Ocean. The archipelago’s 1,192 tiny coral islands span 800 kilometers (500 miles) across the equator, with critical east-west shipping lanes passing through its waters.

Muizzu secured the presidency in September’s election as a proxy for former president Abdulla Yameen, who was recently freed after a court overturned his 11-year jail term for corruption. In the lead-up to the parliamentary election, Muizzu awarded high-profile infrastructure contracts to Chinese state-owned companies. His administration is also in the process of repatriating 89 Indian troops operating reconnaissance aircraft donated by New Delhi to patrol the Maldives’ vast maritime borders.

The outcome of the parliamentary election will influence the Maldives’ international alliances, with both India and China seeking to strengthen their presence in the region. The country’s new direction under Muizzu could impact broader geopolitical dynamics in the Indian Ocean.