Maldives president seeks allies in runoff election

MALE, Maldives: Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said he was seeking allies on Sunday in his bid for re-election in a runoff vote, a day after finishing second in initial polls.

Solih´s attempt for a second term has been turned into a referendum on his pursuit of renewed ties with India, the archipelago nation´s traditional benefactor.

Final official results showed Solih took 39.05 percent of the vote, behind his key rival, the capital´s mayor Mohamed Muizzu, on 46.06 percent. “We have to ally with others,” 61-year-old Solih told reporters Sunday, blaming his poor showing on “unforeseen factors” but without giving details.

Muizzu got 101,635 votes while Solih managed 86,161, with the other candidates in the race now standing down.

Third-placed Ilyas Labeeb, a breakaway candidate from Solih´s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) who got 15,839 or 7.18 percent, has not indicated which of the top two candidates he will now support.