Voters in the Maldives are casting their ballots in a parliamentary election crucial for President Mohamed Muizzu, who has taken a pro-China stand and turned the archipelago nation away from longtime ally India since coming to power last September.
The elections on Sunday are keenly watched by India and China as they vie for influence in the island country, which is known for its pristine beaches and luxury resorts and is strategically located in the Indian Ocean, where global east-west shipping lanes pass through.
About 284,000 people were eligible to vote in Sunday’s polls, and tentative results are expected later on the same day.
Six political parties and independent groups are fielding 368 candidates for 93 seats in Parliament. Splits in all the main political groupings, including Muizzu’s People’s National Congress-led ruling coalition and the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), are expected to make it hard for any single party to win an outright majority.
“This is perhaps the most difficult election …