President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate, has pinpointed three key factors contributing to the party's performance in the first round of the presidential election.
In the initial round held on September 9, President Solih secured the second position among eight contenders, with the PPM-PNC candidate, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, emerging as the frontrunner. Dr. Muizzu secured 46 percent of the votes against President Solih's 39 percent.
President Solih acknowledged the MDP's shortcomings during a campaign event in Addu City in the first round. He said the MDP's inadequate preparations for the final day of the campaigning, internal divisions leading to the departure of some members, and the party's failure to address and clarify opposition propaganda effectively were the primary reasons for their performance.
The president also noted the lowest voter turnout in recent Maldivian elections occurred during the first round of the presidential election and said that many MDP supporters did not participate in the vote.
"We have analyzed each vote box individually to identify what happened. We were not able to reach the people enough," he said, adding that there were difficulties in meeting all constituents during door-to-door campaigns.
The President said the majority of the islands and cities were lost due to internal division within the party.
“In every island, if we add up the support of both parties, it crosses 50 percent. The PPM cannot reach us,” he said, referring to the votes received by MDP's breakaway party, The Democrats' presidential candidate and himself in the first round.
President Solih recognized the need to persuade those who left the MDP to return to the party's fold, emphasizing that these efforts must be undertaken within the next two days. He also acknowledged that false claims spread by the opposition found credence among some voters.
"There are people in the Maldives who repeatedly spread lies and slander by the opposition and believe it. Regardless of one's achievements, if individuals repeatedly portray them negatively, there will be people who believe it," he said.
President Solih stressed that the rumors will persist unless these allegations are refuted. He said efforts have been made since the first round of the presidential election to expose the truth behind opposition lies and pledged to continue this work in the remaining two days of the campaign.
“These stories about India, these stories about selling off the sea, and many of these rumors are far from the truth," he stated.
