Mahathir-led opposition wins historic Malaysian election
Malaysia’s opposition coalition, led by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, won a majority of lower house seats in Wednesday’s general election, paving the way for the country’s first change of power since its independence in 1957.
Mahathir, 92, is expected to become Malaysia’s seventh prime minister, returning to power 15 years after leaving office.
According to the country’s Election Commission, the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan, or Alliance of Hope, with an affiliate party has secured at least 112 of the 222 house seats. An opinion poll prior to the election suggested that the opposition would win the popular vote, but the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional, or National Front, was likely to win more seats owing to the first-past-the-post system along with district boundaries that have traditionally favored the ruling coalition. [Continue reading…]