ECM Cancels Certificate Ceremony for President-elect

The Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has made the decision not to hold a special ceremony for the presentation of the certificate to the President-elect. 

Initially, the electoral body had announced plans for a special ceremony to officially recognise the winner of the second round of the election as the President-elect.

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In an interview with PSM Media, Ismail Habeeb, the Vice President of ECM, stated that this decision came in response to a request from President-elect Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who emphasised the importance of cost-effectiveness. 

He also confirmed that despite the cancellation of the special ceremony, a certificate would still be conferred upon Muizzu, as well as the other presidential candidates.

The 2023 Presidential Election in the Maldives saw the largest number of candidates participating since the inception of the multi-party system, with a total of eight candidates contesting the election. 

Following the initial round of voting, a second round of the presidential election was held on September 30th, as none of the candidates received the required 50% of votes to secure victory in the first round. 

The two candidates who advanced to the second round were Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, the candidate of the opposition People’s National Congress (PNC), and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, representing the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

In the second round, Muizzu garnered 126,586 votes, which accounted for 54% of the total ballots cast. In contrast, President Solih received 107,611 votes, securing 46% of the vote, resulting in a margin of over 19,000 votes in favor of Muizzu.