18 Oct 2018 | 01:21 PM UTC
Maldives: Defeated president agrees to step down /update 1
Political tensions likely to subside after defeated president agrees to step down following September 23 presidential election
Event
Outgoing President Abdulla Yameen, who was defeated with a large margin in the September 23 presidential election, publicly confirmed on Wednesday, October 17, that he agrees to step down. He will thus hand over power to Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as scheduled on November 17.
The political situation is expected to normalize in the coming weeks. However, protests can still be expected around Solih’s inauguration on November 17. Furthermore, the Maldivian Democratic Party (former opposition party) is attempting to get a travel ban imposed on Yameen, to be able to investigate him on various corruption allegations.
Context
Yameen initially conceded defeat to Solih in the immediate aftermath of the election, before alleging that the election had been rigged and filing a request with the Supreme Court on October 14 for it to be annulled.
Yameen similarly contested election results in 2013, when he controversially came to power. He had succeeded in obtaining the annulment of the election, followed by two postponements of the vote, which he then won.
Advice
Individuals present in the Maldives, notably the capital Malé, are advised to avoid all public gatherings as they may turn violent, monitor developments, and adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities.
