2,400 apply for councils, 1,817 for women’s development committees

Elections Commission (EC), on Saturday, announced that 2,400 people have filed for candidacy in the upcoming local council elections, and 1,817 for the women’s development committee elections.

The 2019 amendment to Decentralization Act required both the local council elections and the women’s development committee elections to be held together. As such, Maldives, on April 4, will elect 980 councilors, and 364 members to women’s development committees in 18 islands and four cities.

At a press conference on Saturday evening, EC’s Chairman, Ahmed Shareef said that the highest number of candidates were from ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), followed by the main opposition party Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), with 876 candidates and 679 candidates, respectively.

The number of independent candidates is 680.

Political parties other than MDP and PPM which are contending in the elections include; Jumhoory Party (JP), Adhaalath Party (AP), Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), Maldives Reform Movement (MRM), Maldives Labor and Social Democratic Party (MLSDP), and Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).

THE CANDIDATES AND THEIR POLITICAL REPRESENTATION

• MDP: 876 candidates
• PPM: 679 candidates
• JP: 127 candidates
• AP: 30 candidates
• MDA: 22 candidates
• MRM: 16 candidates
• MLSDP: 4
• DRP: 1
• Independent: 680 candidates

Shareef announced on Saturday that of the 980 local council seats, elections will not be held for 15 council seats in 15 islands due to lack of contention.

It means the automatic election of 13 MDP candidates and two independent candidates who had run unopposed.

Shareef said that it included seats in Male’ City Council and Addu City Council, but did not disclose any details.

As for the women’s development committee elections, two out of 22 islands have not produced any candidates; V. Rakeedhoo and M. Raihmandhoo.

The draw to assign candidacy numbers will be held on Wednesday, March 4.

Shareef noted that candidates had the legal right to withdraw their candidacy until that time.

He said that the EC would therefore announce the candidates who had won the 15 council seats by default after the draw.