During the 2023 presidential elections in the Maldives, the ruling coalition of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the People's National Congress (PNC) reportedly employed anti-India sentiments and disseminated disinformation, as revealed in a report released by the European Union. The European Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to the Maldives conducted an 11-week observation and found that the PPM-PNC campaign utilized derogatory language directed at the president and included anti-Indian sentiments, expressing concerns about Indian influences and the presence of Indian military personnel in the country. The EU EOM noted multiple instances of online disinformation related to this theme.
The report highlighted the lack of transparency and effective oversight in political and campaign fundraising and financial expenditure. It also noted the political partisanship of the media, including public service media, and observed indications of information manipulation on social media. Both political camps engaged in negative campaigning, with one side suggesting a "discontinued development and the return of a repressive PPM government" and the other alleging "unfulfilled government promises, corruption, and foreign intervention," particularly emphasizing accusations of allowing the presence of Indian military.
In the election, Mohamed Muizzu of the People's National Congress (PNC), supported by the Opposition PPM-PNC coalition, secured victory with 54% of the votes, defeating the incumbent president, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
Chief Observer Nacho Sánchez Amor, a Member of the European Parliament, commended the technical administration of the election by the Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM) but highlighted flaws such as the absence and underrepresentation of women in the political competition. The report proposed 20 recommendations for enhancing future elections in the Maldives, including fact-checking initiatives to counter misinformation and measures to promote women to more leadership positions in public and political life.
This report emerges amid an ongoing controversy involving India summoning the High Commissioner of Maldives due to derogatory posts made by three Deputy Ministers after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep. The Maldives Foreign Ministry clarified that the comments were personal and did not represent the government's views.
(With Agency Inputs)
