Muizzu takes office as the new Maldivian president

Chief Justice Muthasim Adnan administered the oath of office to Muizzu. At the ceremony, Hussain Mohamed Latheef also took oath as the 10th vice president of the Maldives.

Muizzu was accompanied by his spouse Saajidha Mohamed.

Among those from the local top leaders who attended it were former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of the outgoing administration and two other former presidents, Mohamed Nasheed and Dr Mohamed Waheed.

Senior officials from the outgoing and the new administrations and parliamentarians were also in attendance at the ceremony, alongside 1,000 members of the general public, according to the Sun newspaper.

Apart from Rijiju, other South Asian neighbours present for the inauguration ceremony included Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and First Lady Maithree Wickremesinghe; Minister for Information of Bangladesh, Hasan Mahmud; Pakistan’s Federal Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Murtaza Solangi, and Vice President of Seychelles, Ahmed Afif.

Special Envoy of the President of China and State Councillor Shen Yiqin too was present.

The ceremony was well attended by several other leaders from South Asia, diplomats, and even some current and former presidents from all over the world.

As per the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives, Minister of Justice of UAE, Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi; UNESCAP Under-Secretary-General Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana; Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland KC, and Minister of Culture and Tourism of Türkiye, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy were among those who attended.

Muizzu, a close associate of former Maldives President Abdulla Yameen who forged close ties with China during his Presidency from 2013 to 2018, defeated India-friendly incumbent Solih in the presidential runoff held in September.

Muizzu obtained his first degree and master’s degree in Structural Engineering at the University of London. Later, he earned his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Leeds.

India is looking forward to productive discussions with the new leadership of the Maldives to further enhance the bilateral relationship, High Commissioner of India to Maldives Munu Mahawar said last month when he met President-elect Muizzu and handed over a congratulatory message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The members of Muizzu’s cabinet will be taking their oath of office later tonight at the President’s Office. Following that, Muizzu will present letters of appointment to top officials at the President’s Office.

Earlier, in a post on X, announcing his resignation as Male city mayor, Muizzu thanked fellow councillors, senior officials and employees of Male City Council for the cooperation he had received from them during his tenure and the work they had carried out.

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