Presidential elections were held in the Maldives on Saturday, 9 September 2023, with a second round held on 30 September. Incumbent president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was seeking re-election, after defeating Speaker of the People's Majlis Mohamed Nasheed in the Maldivian Democratic Party primaries. People's National Congress candidate and Malé mayor Mohamed Muizzu won the election with 54% of the votes, defeating Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and becoming President-elect of the Maldives. It was the fourth consecutive election in which a Maldivian president failed to win reelection, the last to do so having been Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ran unopposed, in 2003.
Background
Former president Abdulla Yameen of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) had announced his candidacy for president, but due to his sentencing in 2018 to 11 years in prison for corruption and money laundering due to his connection to the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation scandal he is ineligible to appear on the ballot. PPM's vice president Mohamed Muizzu purportedly ran on his behalf as a nominee of the PNC, which he also joined before the election. Abdulla Yameen opted to support Muizzu's candidacy after previously calling for a boycott of the election.
Former Minister of Defence and National Security, Mohamed Nazim of the Maldives National Party announced his candidacy for president. The Jumhooree Party announced that they will put forth candidates as well. Ilyas Labeeb of the newly formed The Democrats nominated himself as a candidate for president. Independents Ahmed Faris Maumoon, son of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Umar Naseer and Hassan Zameel also announced their candidacies for president. This presidential election had the most recorded candidates since the first direct contested election in 2008, where six candidates participated.
As no candidate received over 50% of the vote in the first round, the top two finishers, Muizzu and incumbent Solih, moved on to a runoff.
Electoral system
The Maldives has a presidential system of government where the president is both the head of state and government. The president is elected via direct-vote every five years and can only be elected for a maximum of two terms, which is the limit allowed by the constitution. The law and constitution of the Maldives grants its citizens the right to vote and run for public office at the age of 18.
In the elections, the candidate who receives a majority (more than 50%) of the valid votes cast is elected president. If no candidate receives an outright majority, the election then proceeds to a runoff (or second round), which are mandated to be held no less than 21 days following the initial election day between the two front runners. The candidate who receives the majority of the vote is then elected president. The official results are announced by the Elections Commission and published in the government gazette within seven days of the voting day of the presidential elections.
Candidates
Maldivian Democratic Party
The Maldivian Democratic Party held primary elections to choose its presidential candidate on 28 January 2023. Nasheed accused Solih of trying to rig the presidential primary. The Chairperson of Maldivian Democratic Party, Fayyaz Ismail, defended the primaries, reiterating that they will be held in accordance with the party constitution.
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, incumbent president and leader of Maldivian Democratic Party. Mohamed Nasheed, incumbent speaker of the People's Majlis, former Maldivian president, former president of Maldivian Democratic Party and leader of Democrats.
Progressive Congress Coalition
Nominated by the Progressive Party of Maldives and People's National Congress.
Abdulla Yameen, former president and leader of Progressive Party of Maldives.
However, since the Maldivian Criminal Court sentenced former president Yameen to 11 years in prison, it would be a high chance that Elections Commission would disqualify Yameen in the presidential elections.
Nominated by People's National Congress's as a 'Backup' candidacy.
Mohamed Muizzu, Mayor of Malé and former Minister of Housing and Infrastructure.
PNC's president Abdul Raheem said that he would withdraw the candidacy if the Maldivian Supreme Court allowed Yameen to compete in the upcoming elections, which ended up not happening.
The Democrats
Nominated by The Democrats, a newly formed political party from the rapidly unfolding power struggle between two pivotal figures in the Maldivian Democratic Party — incumbent president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and former president Mohamed Nasheed.