In a closely watched development for India, opposition candidate Mohamed Muiz has won the Maldives presidential runoff, securing over 53 percent of the vote.
Local media reports confirm Muiz's victory by more than 18,000 votes, with incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih receiving 46 percent of the vote.
This election has effectively become a virtual referendum on which regional power India or China will have the biggest influence in the Indian Ocean archipelago nation.