Current:Home > MarketsMaldivians vote for president in a virtual geopolitical race between India and China -Wealth Axis Pro
Maldivians vote for president in a virtual geopolitical race between India and China
View
Date:2025-04-12 14:40:52
MALE, Maldives (AP) — Voting started in the Maldives presidential election Saturday, a virtual referendum over which regional power — India or China — will have the biggest influence in the Indian Ocean archipelago state.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, perceived as pro-India, sought re-election for a second term amid allegations by his main rival, Mohamed Muiz, that he has allowed India an unchecked presence in the country.
Muiz promised that if he won the presidency he would remove Indian troops stationed in the Maldives and balance the country’s trade relations, which he said is heavily in India’s favor.
Muiz’s party, the People’s National Congress, is viewed as heavily pro-China. Its leader, Abdullah Yameen, when he was president in 2013-2018, made Maldives a part of China’s “One Belt One Road.” The initiative envisages building ports, railways and roads to expand trade — and China’s influence — in a swath across Asia, Africa and Europe.
Mohamed Shareef, a senior official for Muiz’s party, told The Associated Press that removal of Indian military personnel was a “non-negotiable” position for the party. He said that the number of Indian troops and their activities are hidden from Maldivians and that they have near-exclusive use of certain parts and airports in the country.
Both India and China vie for influence in the tiny archipelago state made up with some 1,200 coral islands in the Indian Ocean, located by the main shipping route between East and the West.
Solih was considered the front-runner in the field of eight candidates since his strongest rival, Yameen, was blocked from running by the Supreme Court because he is in prison for corruption and money laundering convictions.
Muiz hoped to take advantage of a split in Solih’s Maldivian Democratic Party that led Mohamed Nasheed, a charismatic former president, to break away and field his own candidate.
More than 282,000 people were eligible to vote in Saturday’s election. A candidate would need to get 50% plus one vote to win outright. Otherwise, the top two finishers would meet in a runoff election later this month.
veryGood! (87)
Related
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Wisconsin Democrats introduce legislation package to address deteriorating conditions in prisons
- Miami police officer passed out in a car with a gun will be charged with DUI, prosecutors say
- Uber and Lyft to pay $328M in New York wage theft settlement
- Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
- Takeaways from AP’s reporting on an American beef trader’s links to Amazon deforestation
- Iowa couple stunned after winning $250,000 lottery prize
- West Virginia jail officers plead guilty to conspiracy charge in fatal assault on inmate
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- Suzanne Somers, late 'Three's Company' star, died after breast cancer spread to brain
Ranking
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- New Zealand’s final election count means incoming premier Christopher Luxon needs broader support
- Florida Sen. Rick Scott endorses Trump over DeSantis in 2024 race
- 38th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction: How to watch the 2023 ceremony on Disney+
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Bruce Bochy is only manager in MLB history to win title with team he beat in World Series
- Iranian club Sepahan penalized over canceled ACL match after Saudi team’s walkout
- Vanessa Marcil Pays Tribute to Ex-Fiancé Tyler Christopher After General Hospital Star’s Death
Recommendation
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
Video captures final screams of pro cyclist Mo Wilson after accused killer Kaitlin Armstrong tracked her on fitness app, prosecutor says
Khloe Kardashian’s Son Tatum Is Fast and Furious in Dwayne Johnson Transformation
2034 World Cup would bring together FIFA’s president and Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed
Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
AP Week in Pictures: North America
Man who admitted setting fire to several Indiana barns pleads guilty to 3 more arsons
Sister Wives: Kody Brown Shares His Honest Reaction to Ex Janelle’s New Chapter