Didn’t rely on one country; no reason for defeat, says pres

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Monday said that the government's foreign policy was not the reason for the election defeat.

The president made the remarks this while answering questions from journalists at a press conference held at the Presidential Palace on Monday.

"We don't depend on [a particular country], that much. There will be agreements just for the safety and security of the Indian Ocean. There will be such with Sri Lanka, and there will be with other countries," he said replying to a question from Atoll Times.

Opposition PPM-PNC candidate Dr Mohamed Muizz, who advocates for stronger ties with China, defeated incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, known for his pro-India stance, in the second round of the presidential election held on Saturday, according to provisional results.

With all 584 ballot boxes now counted, Muizz leads the polls with 126,499 votes or 53,54%, while President Solih received 108,735 or 46.22% votes.

To questions about the defeat in the election, the president said:

"In the coming days, the people will see that. Whatever agreement we have made, whatever we have done, will have been done within the legal framework and in the best interest of Maldives and the people”, the President said.

"All of those documents will be in our offices," he said.

On foreign policy, the president said his was the best foreign policy ever pursued and shaped to benefit the country. The President said that this government has strengthened relations with most countries.

"Our foreign policy gave me the opportunity to represent Maldives at the highest level in various platforms around the world, whether it is the UN or the Commonwealth. I think this is a benefit. It benefited Maldives a lot," the president said.

According to the president, from 1995 until the coming of this government, there was dissatisfaction from outsiders with the policies of the governments. However, this government came and changed that.

"You know these past five years have come to an end and no country, no country has issued any statement regarding our domestic policy. Whether it's human rights or anything else," he said.

"So I think the close relationship we had [and] have with foreign countries is a foreign policy that has benefited Maldives a lot."

Although the president said his foreign policy was good, the biggest talk of his rivals during the campaign was that he was too dependent on India. They also expressed concern about the country's huge debts and secret military agreements.

The president on Monday said that relations with neighbouring countries should be good as the security and safety of the Indian Ocean is important for Maldives' security and safety.

"It has to be a relationship of trust. It has to be a strong relationship. That's what we've been doing. I believe it has to be that way in the future. Otherwise, the challenges we we face will be huge," he said.

"I believe that those in power should do whatever is necessary for the safety and security of Maldives’ seas and the security and safety of the Indian Ocean. I would like to point out that our foreign policy is the best foreign policy”.

The president said: