President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the candidate for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), expressed his confidence in winning the upcoming presidential elections without the need for a run-off.
Addressing a campaign event in Male’ City on Thursday, President Solih stated that the observations from the campaign trail indicated a strong desire among the electorate for the MDP to remain in power, and that they aimed to avoid a repetition of his predecessor’s injustices.
President Solih has extensively toured almost every atoll during his campaign and affirmed his confidence in achieving a decisive victory. Notably, MDP also came to power in the 2018 election without requiring a run-off.
Recognising the intense competition of the current election, which features eight candidates, the president acknowledged it as the most competitive in the country’s democratic history.
The opinion polls conducted by the local think tank Baani Centre for International Policy in August also highlighted President Solih’s lead. The latest poll revealed President Solih ahead with 21%, surpassing his opponent Dr Mohamed Muizzu by seven percentage points.
When accounting for undecided or non-voting participants, President Solih’s support was a decisive 51%, securing a clear victory in the first round.