Colombo, Sri Lanka – The strongman president of the Maldives on Monday conceded his surprise electoral defeat, easing fears of a fresh political crisis in the archipelago at the center of a battle for influence between India and China. “Earlier today (Monday), I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who the Maldivian electorate has chosen to be their next president. But signs grew Monday that he would throw in the towel, with a foreign ministry statement saying Solih had won and state media showing him claiming victory. Independent international monitors were barred from the election and only a handful of foreign media were allowed in to cover the poll. Foreign monitors said Yameen failed to carry out any large-scale fraud thanks to intense international and local scrutiny from civil society groups.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 24, 2018 11:48 UTC