Presidential Election in Maldives| India Maldives Bilateral Relations

The Maldives will hold its next presidential elections in September 2023. These elections will be for the top power of Maldives, but its impact will be deep on India and China. In fact, it is decided by the political leadership of Maldives, whether China or India will be the special friend of Maldives for the next 5 years. Where on the one hand, strategic location of Maldives in the Indian Ocean is very important in terms of India's internal and external relations. On the other hand, Maldives is an important point in China's 'String of Pearls' policy encircling India. In addition, Maldives' location close to 'strategic shipping lanes' in the Indian Ocean has made the region the center of the Indo-China battle for supremacy. In this regard, the post-election 'leadership' of Maldives is going to matter for both India and China. But even before that the political fervor has increased in Maldives. In fact, there are about 10 months left for the election of the new President of Maldives. But before that, Abdulla Yameen's jail term has become the cause of political stir in Maldives even before the beginning of the New Year. In fact, there is a serious allegation of corruption and money laundering on former President Abdulla Yameen. In this regard, a Maldivian criminal court sentenced Abdulla Yameen to 11 years in prison on 25 December. He has also been fined $5 million, pleading guilty to accepting bribes from a private company.