Maldives: Preliminary results of parliamentary elections released April 7 /update 1

Event

Preliminary results for the April 6 parliamentary election were released on Sunday, April 7, with President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's Maldivian Democratic Party declaring a landslide victory. According to initial results, the Maldivian Democratic Party secured 60 out of the 87 seats in parliament, marking the first time that a single party has won a majority since 2008. Official results are expected to be released later on Sunday. Voter turnout was reportedly at 78 percent. Associated political rallies and demonstrations are possible in the coming hours and days.

Context

The People's Majlis - the unicameral legislative chamber of the Maldives - is currently composed of 85 seats but was expanded to 87 seats in the April 6 election. The legislative elections were initially scheduled to take place in March but were postponed by one month by the Elections Commission (EC) in December 2018.

On April 1, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (Maldivian Democratic Party) accused the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) of attempting to delay the upcoming election via a court order, although it is unclear if a motion was filed with the judiciary. The PPM, led by former President Abdulla Yameen who was arrested in February on money laundering charges, successfully delayed the 2017 local elections on a court ruling.

Advice

Individuals in the Maldives are advised to monitor the situation, avoid public political demonstrations due to the risk of violence, and adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities and their home governments.