The Maldivian Presidential Election heads to a run-off as none of the candidates who contested were able to secure a downright majority of 50 percent and 1 vote in the first round of voting.
Preliminary results from the ballot boxes show that PNC Presidential Candidate Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has secured the most votes in the first round of voting.
While ballot counting is still ongoing in some areas of the country, MDP Candidate President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has come in second behind Muizzu in the first round.
The Democrat candidate MP Ilyas Labeeb has so far claimed the third highest votes.
With just a handful of ballot boxes left to count, no major changes are expected to the current result.
With 8 candidates vying for the Presidency, any candidate who is declared winner of the first round of voting must secure 50 percent plus 1 vote.
If no candidate is able to win the required number of votes, the winner of the election would decided in a run-off between the two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the first round, in this case, it would be PNC Candidate Muizzu, and MDP Candidate President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
The election run-off is expected to be held on the 30th of this month.
