New Maldives Prez a reformer

Male, September 24

Veteran Maldives lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih overcame the detention and exile of key opposition figures to win a weekend presidential poll and unseat incumbent Abdulla Yameen, but now faces the task of holding together a disparate coalition.

The victory of Solih, who is known as a reformer, dislodges Yameen, a hardliner who had cultivated ties with both Beijing and Saudi Arabia, and cracked down on threats to his rule, even jailing his own half-brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. But Solih, who is expected to be sworn in on November 17, must now keep together a coalition that includes two fierce rivals, Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed, both former presidents.

Also part of the unlikely alliance, held together by a pro-Islam religious agenda, are business tycoon Qasim Ibrahim’s Jumhooree Party and the Islamist Adhaalath Party, which formed a coalition that led to the downfall of Gayoon in 2013. “For Solih, ensuring a smooth transition and then selecting an all-acceptable Cabinet will be priority,” said N Sathiya Moorthy, an analyst. — Reuters