The Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has decided that a special ceremony will not be held to hand over the certificate to the president-elect. The electoral body initially announced that the winner of the second round of the election would receive a certificate in a special ceremony acknowledging the status as the president-elect.
Speaking to PSM News, Vice President of ECM Ismail Habeeb explained that the decision was made in response to a request from President-elect Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to prioritise cost-effectiveness. He also confirmed that a certificate would still be conferred upon Dr. Muizzu and the other presidential candidates even if a special ceremony is not held.
The presidential election marked a significant milestone as it witnessed the largest number of candidates vying for the presidency since the inception of the multi-party system. As such, eight candidates contested the presidential election, including five candidates from parties and three independent candidates. A second round of the presidential election was held on September 30 after 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 are Dr. Muizzu, the candidate of the opposition People's National Congress (PNC), and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the candidate of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
In the second round, Dr. Muizzu secured 126,586 votes in the second round of the presidential election, which is 54% of the total ballots cast. In contrast, President Solih garnered 107,611 votes, securing 46% of the vote, resulting in a margin of over 19,000 votes in favour of Dr. Muizzu.