President Solih wishes president-elect's swearing in on November 11

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said he wishes swearing in of president-elect Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on November 11 provided there are no legal interventions.

Speaking at the first press conference held after he faced defeat in the runoff election, president Solih said that November 11 has been the designated date for the transition of administrations historically, and said he wished for the status quo to be upheld.

"I am working on it. If there are no legal interventions, the government will transition on November 11," President Solih said.

When asked if the president was willing to resign if that is the only option for president-elect's swearing in on November 11, that the state's executive powers will be transferred to the parliament speaker if both he and vice president Faisal Naseem were to resign right now; which he viewed not as a viable solution.

"We are looking into this legally. For instance, even if I were to resign, or the vice president, executive authority is transferred to the parliament speaker," president Solih said.

Maldives previously observed government transition on November 11 which coincides with the country's Republic Day. The government's transition date was changed in 2013, which president Solih said would be reverted to the original date. He first said this on November 11, 2020 on a RaajjeTV aired program.

Maldives commemorates Republic Day after the country was changed to a republic in 1968. Every five years, the date marks the Maldivian government's transition and the Republic Day.

However, this changed in 2013 after the first round of the then presidential election was annulled by the Supreme Court, after which former President Abdulla Yameen's presidency officially commenced on November 17.

After the Supreme Court annulled the first round of election in 2013, a new round was held which then proceeded to a runoff scheduled on November 16.

Due to the special circumstance, the Maldives top court held the then president Mohamed Waheed's administration will remain in effect until a new president was elected.

Similar to former president Yameen, president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was sworn in on November 17, 2018.

The decision was finalized through the Maldives parliament.