Roundtable on Maldives: Presidential Election and a New Era of U.S.-Maldives Relations
Fifteen years after the country’s first multi-party presidential election, Maldives is set to go to the polls once again on September 9 in a contest between incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and seven other candidates. Beyond the election’s implications for domestic politics, Maldives confronts an increasingly complex regional environment as a small state navigating strategic competition in the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile the United States has looked to increase engagement in the region, recently announcing its first-ever resident ambassador to the Maldives.
On September 19, USIP hosted a conversation with the Maldives ambassador to the United States, Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, on the presidential elections and what to expect from a new era of Maldives-U.S. relations. The discussion provided insight into the Maldives’ election results and what they mean for its ongoing work with international partners, particularly the United States.
Speakers
Andrew Wilder, welcome and opening remarks
Vice President, Asia Programs, U.S. Institute of Peace
Ambassador Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed
Maldives Ambassador to the United States
Nilanthi Samaranayake, moderator
South Asia Program, Visiting Expert
