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| President Mohamed Muijju is voting in the parliamentary elections in Malé, the capital of the Maldives. 21 April |
There was widespread doubt as to whether the party of President Mohammad Muijju, a staunch supporter of Chinese investment in the Maldives, would do well in the parliamentary elections. There was also talk that his stance was somewhat shaky in opposition to India, a longtime ally of the Maldives.
However, in the parliamentary elections held last Sunday, the people of Maldives gave their unwavering support to him and his party. His party won absolute majority in the elections. Through this victory, it can be said that Muijju got the people's verdict to leave India's sphere of influence and build closer relations with China.
Muijju's 45-year-old People's National Congress (PNC) won an absolute majority in the 93-seat parliament, upsetting its main rival, known as the pro-Indian party. According to the latest news, Muijju's PNC has won 66 seats.
After the unprecedented victory in the parliamentary elections, President Muizju did not take long to react. He said last Monday night, the international community will now understand who the Maldivian people stand for.
Addressing supporters in the Maldives last night, Muijju said that the people of the Maldives want to be free from the influence of foreign powers. The people of this country will decide how the Maldives will run.
President's clear message, 'It's now clear to everyone outside the Maldives, to everyone in the international community—we want to make our own decisions.'
When UK-educated engineer Mohammad Muijju ran for the Maldivian presidential election in September last year, he was not much in the news. Earlier, he served as Minister of Construction under Abdullah Yameen, who is known to be pro-China.
Muizzu took the reins of the party after Yameen was jailed on corruption charges. In the election, he decided to go either to India or to China. At that time, he presented an optimal strategy in front of the countrymen.
Using anti-Indian weapons, Muijju won an unprecedented victory in the elections. It was then that he abandoned India, a long-time ally, and turned to China. He and his party have been complaining that India is interfering in their internal affairs. Not only that, he broke the tradition of visiting Delhi and visited Beijing.
After winning the election, the President signed several agreements on construction of housing, bridges and airports during his visit to the Chinese capital, Beijing, to strengthen bilateral relations.
So in Muijju's speech to his supporters yesterday after winning the parliamentary elections, it is clear that he said these things with a view to India. He wanted to understand that the Maldivian people don't like India to keep silent about anything in Maldives.
During Abdullah Yameen's tenure as Minister of Construction, Muizzou took the initiative to connect the islands with the airport in the capital Malé. Apart from this, he signed a 200 million dollar loan agreement with China for the construction of other infrastructure. He was then elected Mayor of Mal.
In an online meeting in 2022, Muizhu told Chinese Communist Party officials that his party would build a "stronger of two countries" if it returned to power.
Draw India:
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| Former Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen waves to supporters after being released from prison. 21 April |
Muijju's continued success in the elections gave India a chance to corner the Maldives' politics and economy. He maintained an anti-India stance.
A senior associate of Muijju told AFP that the 'Bharat Khedao' (India Out) campaign helped Muijju win the presidential election immensely. Again, that slogan brought success to him and his party in the parliamentary elections held on Sunday.
The associate was saying that the people of Maldives also believe that maintaining close relations with China will make it easier to do work (construction) quickly in the country.
Historically, New Delhi's relationship with the Maldives has had several complications. India deployed troops there to thwart a coup in 1988.
India's influence in the Muslim-majority country has gradually created a kind of resentment among the people.
In 2022, Islamists attacked a yoga program organized in support of India at a football stadium in the capital, Male. Police had to fire tear gas to disperse the protesters.
Muijju has been able to present himself to the public as the guardian of the national interest by promising to liberate the Maldives from the influence of its northern neighbour.
Since coming to power in Maldives, Muijju has ordered the withdrawal of Indian troops deployed in his country by May 15. A portion has already left the Maldives.
The President of Maldives has bought drones from Türkiye to replace three aircraft provided by India. These aircraft were used to guard the water borders of the country.
Last week, a Maldivian court overturned the sentence of former president Abdullah Yameen and ordered his release.
Abdullah Yameen is thought of as the figurehead of Maldives' relationship with Beijing. The former president brought in Chinese investment through China's Road and Belt Initiative (BRI). He was sentenced to 11 years in a bribery and money laundering case during the pro-India Ibrahim Mohammad Salihar government.
Sea level rise
Made up of about 1,922 islands, the Maldives is most at risk from global warming. Rising water levels due to global warming could submerge large areas of the Maldives. Despite the rise in the water level, Muijju continues to try to build fortresses to protect their islands.
Muizzou declared that his country would never be abandoned. A predecessor of Muijju warned that if the Maldives went under water, they might have to buy islands in Australia or elsewhere and move there.
In an interview with news agency AFP after winning the presidential election, Muizzou said he wanted to build the islands like fortresses to protect them from drowning due to rising water levels. 50 million dollars in funding is being sought for this.
Muizzu said, 'If we need to expand the territory for the sake of our residence or economic activities, we can do it. We have to be self-reliant to survive on our own.'
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