Muizzu sworn in as president of Maldives

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Mohamed Muizzu was sworn in on Friday as the eighth president of the island nation of Maldives.

Running under the Progressive Party of Maldives banner, Muizzu, 45, last month won 54% of the vote in a runoff. Incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of the Maldivian Democratic Party got 46.2%.

Muizzu previously served as the mayor of Male, the capital city, as well as housing minister from 2012 to 2018. Alongside Muizzu, Hussain Mohamed Latheef was also sworn in as vice president by the nation’s chief justice, Ahmed Muthasim Adnan.

On X, Muizzu pledged to work “with strong determination” to make the aspirations of the people of the Maldives a reality.

The swearing-in was held at Republic Square in the capital with the attendance of representatives from 46 countries, including China, the US, and nearby India.

Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy arrived on Friday to represent his country at the ceremony.

Welcoming Ersoy, the Maldives former Culture Minister Mooswa Zameer wrote on X: “We appreciate Türkiye’s support for Maldives in the international arena, and in the fields of culture, tourism, and development.”

Situated on an archipelago in the Indian Ocean with a population of over half a million, the Maldives’ largest economic sector is tourism.