ISAS Insights

The defeat of the incumbent, Abdulla Yaameen, in the Maldivian presidential elections on 23 September 2018 marks an important step towards restoring democratic rule in the country. However, President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will not find the going smooth. He has to prepare himself to deal with a number of challenges, both from within his party and from the coalition partners. However, he is likely to have better luck in his relations with the country’s two large neighbours – India and China.