Two individuals have been injured in clashes that erupted between supporters of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) on the island of Guraidhoo in Kaafu Atoll.
The confrontations broke out when PPM supporters, who were assembled to welcome their presidential candidate, Dr Mohamed Muizzu, representing their coalition partner People’s National Congress (PNC), were met with protesters from the MDP.
Guraidhoo stands as one of the most fiercely contested islands, where both parties enjoy comparable levels of support. Verbal insults were exchanged between the supporters of both parties before the situation escalated into physical altercations.
Two individuals sustained injuries to their heads before the police intervened to bring the confrontation under control. The police officers were also subjected to physical abuse as they endeavoured to quell the tensions between the rival groups.
Muizzu is scheduled to deliver a speech at a substantial campaign rally in Guraidhoo on Saturday. He arrived on the island at around seven in the evening, following the police’s intervention to manage the tumultuous crowds.
PPM and MDP, as the two largest political parties in the Maldives, frequently experience heightened tensions that can escalate into volatility between their respective supporters.