President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that he will recover from the loss in the first round of the presidential election and win in the second round.
At a campaign event, President Solih likened the presidential election to a football match. He acknowledged being behind in the first half but expressed confidence in staging a comeback and securing victory in the second half. He said that the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is campaigning with newfound determination, evident from the large number of party members who have joined the campaign following the first round of the election.
Additionally, President Solih highlighted the importance of revamping their strategy for a strong comeback in the second round. He urged party members to organise teams to conduct door-to-door campaigns and explain to voters the reasons to support the MDP candidate.
Furthermore, President Solih responded to the pledges made by his opponent, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. He questioned whether Dr. Muizzu would be able to fulfill his pledges of doubling the salaries of military officers and reducing the rent of government-built flats.
The second round of the presidential election is scheduled to be held on September 30 as none of the candidates received 50% of the votes to win in the first round. The two candidates who moved on to the second round were the candidate of the People's National Congress (PNC) Dr. Muizzu, who received 46% of the votes, and the candidate of MDP President Solih, who received 39%.