Guraidhoo win boosts president's re-election confidence: Fayyaz

MDP Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail said on Sunday that the victory of MDP in the by-election held on Saturday to the parliament's Guraidhoo constituency shows that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih can win the upcoming presidential election.

Main ruling MDP on Saturday won the the by-election to the K. Guraidhoo parliamentary seat, ending the long-held control of opposition PPM in the constituency.

Provisional results show MDP's Shaz winning 1,346 votes, while PPM's Riza secured 1,226 votes. MNP's Areef received 122 votes. 

Commenting on the results, Fayyaz, who is also the economic minister, told Atoll Times that MDP's first-ever victory in a seat in K. Atoll was a major win for the party. He said the victory showed the people's support for President Solih, his policies and the government.

"This shows that we can win the presidential election too," said Fayyaz, who also played a key role in the campaign for the Guraidhoo by-election.

The parliamentary seat in Guraidhoo constituency fell vacant after opposition PPM's Ibrahim Riza, who held the seat for the last three terms, passed away in late February while undergoing treatment for cancer.