The exiled former leader of the Maldives has led his party to a landslide victory only five months after returning to the country, preliminary results showed Sunday.
Ex-president Mohamed Nasheed, 51, was set for a dramatic return to the top of the national parliament, with his Maldivian Democratic Party headed for a two-thirds majority in the 87-member assembly.
Saturday’s poll was the first test of public opinion since autocratic former president and Nasheed’s arch-rival Abdulla Yameen was forced to stand down after his five-year term, facing charges of money laundering and embezzlement.
Nasheed returned to the country after his former deputy President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won an unexpected victory in September presidential elections for the MDP. Yameen had barred Nasheed from contesting.
Preliminary results from Saturday’s election showed the MDP winning 50 out of the 87 seats, while private media reports projected the party eventually getting up to 68 seats.