The Challenges in Muizzu's Maldives: A Stocktaking

Introduction In 2008, the Maldives elected its first president under the multiparty electoral system, making the country the youngest democracy in South Asia. A new president has been voted to power in each subsequent election for five-year terms. The presidential elections are typically followed by parliamentary polls within six months. In the September 2023 poll, the Progressive Alliance’s Mohamed Muizzu emerged victorious against President Ibrahim Solih of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and six other candidates. The parliamentary elections are currently scheduled to be held on 21 April 2024. [a] , [1] Muizzu’s victory has garnered significant attention, especially from those who saw the second round of the polls as a competition between Solih’s ‘India First’ policy and Muizzu’s ‘India Out’ campaign. [2] Indeed, many observers also view Muizzu’s victory as a loss for India and a win for China. [3] The change in guard in the Maldives comes at a time when the archipelago confronts significant political, economic, social, and strategic challenges. This paper assesses the impact of these issues on each other and the country’s foreign policy. It uses primary and secondary research (news reports and official government data) to highlight the crucial challenges before the Muizzu administration. The author visited the Maldives between 20-29 October 2023 and conducted 15 interviews and some informal and casual interactions with individuals from political parties and media outlets, policy analysts, and envoys/diplomats from other countries. [b]