Mohamed Muizzu becoming Maldives president

Mohamed Muizzu, the mayor of Maldives’s capital, Male, has won a hotly contested presidential run-off, according to local media projections.

With nearly all ballot boxes counted, the candidate of the opposition Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM)-led coalition won 53 percent of the vote, while incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih obtained 46 percent.

Parliament Speaker and former President Mohamed Nasheed has congratulated Muizzu on his apparent second round victory.

Nasheed was formerly allied with Solih but fell out with the incumbent leader after losing a bitterly fought ruling party presidential primary earlier this year. The two men’s quarrel split the MDP, likely contributing to Solih’s defeat, according to observers.