Regardless of how you voted today I assure you I will be the president for all Maldivians: Solih

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih addressed the people of Maldives at 12:00 am on Monday, as local media pronounced him the preliminary victor of the presidential elections 2018.

Addressing the Maldivian public, President-Elect Solih expressed his intent to maintain the country as an Islamic state, one without corruption, pledging to maintain peace and prosperity and to implement the will of the people.

“This is a moment of happiness and a moment of hope and history. For many of us, this has been a difficult journey," said Solih.

Thanking each and every member of the opposition coalition who united for change, Solih extended his appreciation to all citizens that voted, and a special thanks to those who voted for him.

Solih added that the message has been heard loud and clear and that the people of Maldives wanted to see "change" in the nation.

Following the unprecedented victory and subsequent preliminary announcements, supporters of the coalition alliance have already begun their celebrations across the Maldives.

Former president Mohamed Nasheed has offered his congratulations to President-Elect Solih on succeeding the preliminary election results.

The tentative election results from local news media Mihaaru show that the opposition coalition's presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is closing in for the win.

At the time of publication, the total amount of votes in favour of Solih has surpassed 120,000. Incumbent President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has thus far received more than 86,000 votes.

In terms of percentages, Solih has received 58.3 percent of the votes, while President Yameen has received 41.7 percent.

Solih is leading with more than 34,000 votes.

This marks the first time in the last decade (previous two elections) that a single candidate has achieved such a significant electoral lead.

Compared to previously held elections, the 2018 presidential elections experienced an extraordinary voter turnout with 88.2 percent of 262,135 eligible voters.

Solih is the parliamentary group leader for the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). The party entered into a coalition with Jumhooree Party, Adhaalath Party and the Maumoon Reform Movement, with the hope of winning the majority of votes in the 2018 presidential election.