date_range Friday 19 Apr 2024
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Last updated : 3 years ago

LCE 2020: MDP takes mayoral seats in 3 cities, PPM takes Male’

Summary

Voting in the Local Council Elections 2020 to elect officials to local councils and women’s development committees - postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic - has begun. Voting will be held from 07:00 am to 05:00 pm COVID-19 safety measures in accordance with Health Protection Agency (HPA)’s guidelines.

713 ballot boxes have been kept across Maldives and in overseas locations.

Male’ City: 242 boxes

Atolls: 325 boxes

Resorts: 137 boxes

Prisons: 4 boxes

India: 1 box

Sri Lanka: 4 boxes

People with the right to vote: 273,182 people

Councils: 2,234 candidates

Women’s development committees: 1,580 candidates

30 candidates have been automatically elected to seats in councils, and 90 candidates have been automatically elected to women’s development committees.

Candidates need to be elected to the following seats:

Island council president: 178

Local island councilors: 918 (370 seats allocated for women)

Atoll council president: 18

City councilors: 46 (including 4 mayors and 14 seats allocated for women)

00:04

Anas concedes defeat, congratulates Muizzu on winning Male' mayor seat

23:31
23:30
21:41

Opposition PPM candidate, former Housing Minister Dr. Mohamed Muizzu leads the race for Male' City mayor.

20:25
19:06

Elections Commission states 442 ballot boxes have now been closed.

18:49

Counting begins in some polling stations

Polls have closed and counting has begun in some of the polling stations.

Electoral officials count ballots in the Local Council Elections 2020 on April 10, 2021. (Sun Photo/Fayaz Moosa)
18:46

117 ballot boxes closed

Elections Commission states that 117 ballot boxes have been closed.

18:43

63 percent voter turnout

Elections Commission states 63.76 percent of eligible voters have cast their vote.

Elections Commission chairman Ahmed Shareef tweeted that 173,909 people had cast their vote by 06:00 pm.

99,219 people - 36.33 percent of eligible voters - have not cast their vote.

18:39

Details of ballot boxes for which polling hours have been extended:

Polling has been extended to 06:30 pm for:

K. Guraidhoo-3

Sri Lanka, Colombo-2, Colombo-3

ADh. Atoll Male’-1

Fuvahmulah City Male’-1, Male’-3

Addu City Male’-13

Hulhumale’ Other-4, Hulhumale’ Other-10, Hulhumale’ Other-13

Vilimale’ Other-2

Polling has been extended to 06:45 pm for:

HA. Dhidhoo-1

M. Raihmandhoo-1

Fuvahmulah City Male’-2

Addu City Male’-5

Polling has been extended to 09:50 pm for:

Th. Vilufushi-1, Th. Vilufushi-2

18:25

Electoral officials begin closing ballot boxes in some of the polling centers.

18:14
People wait in line in the "quarantine queue" outside a polling center in HDh. Hanimaadhoo during the Local Council Elections on April 10, 2021. (Photo/Reader Contribution)
17:41

Voting hours extended to 06:00 pm

Elections Commission has announced general voters will be allowed to vote from 05:00 pm to 06:00 pm - an hour previously designated for voters isolated or quarantined due to COVID-19 to cast their vote.

Elections Commission said it made the decision to allow more people to vote.

17:38

Officials begin closing polling for general voters

Electoral officials have begun closing polling for general voters. Polling in LCE 2020 is open from 07:00 am to 05:00 pm. An extra one hour from 05:00 pm to 06:00 pm is allocated for people in isolation or quarantine due to COVID-19. Such voters have been instructed not to use public transport to go to polling stations.

16:54

43 percent have yet to vote

Elections Commission chairman Ahmed Shareef states 56.82 percent of eligible voters (155,192 voters) had cast their vote by 04:40 pm.

43.18 percent have yet to vote.

16:23

Voter turnout rises to 50 percent

50 percent of eligible voters in the ongoing elections have now cast their vote.

Statistics released by Elections Commission chairman Ahmed Shareef shows 50.69 percent of eligible voters (138,444 voters) had cast their vote by 03:40 pm.

273,128 people are eligible to vote in the ongoing elections.

16:17

President, Parliament Speaker accused of indirect campaigning

PPM has accused President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Parliament Speaker, former President Mohamed Nasheed of indirectly campaigning for MDP candidates on voting day.

PPM says it condemns the actions by the two leaders.

14:30

Youth Minister Ahmed Mahloof has cast his vote in the ongoing elections, and is urging more people to perform their civil duty and vote to elect their representatives for the next five years.

14:07

Vice President Faisal Naseem casts his vote

Vice President Faisal Naseem has cast his vote in the ongoing Local Council Elections and Women’s Development Elections.

He cast his vote to the ballot box for Fuvahmulah City residents in Male’ at the Maafannu Stadium.

Speaking to press after casting his vote, Faisal spoke of the importance of voting.

He said that exercising the right to vote for good can be instrumental in speeding up development in local islands.

He said that he understands the voting is being conducted under difficult circumstances, but that his appeal is for more people to come out and vote.

13:53

Voters pass 100,000 mark

Over 100,000 people have cast their vote in the ongoing Local Council Elections.

Elections Commission states that 100,828 people cast their vote by 01:50 pm. They include 56,689 male voters and 47,140 female voters.

Total 273,128 people are eligible to vote in the elections. However, the voter turnout at present stands at a low 36.9 percent.

Elections Commission estimates the voter turnout in the ongoing elections will be 40 percent.

13:43

Issue arises with Dh. Atoll ballot box

An issue has arisen with the Dh. Atoll ballot box at the Ghiyasuddin International School in Male’.

The ballot box in question is Ghiyasuddin International, Dh. Atoll Male’ 1, MT. 1 box where residents of Bandidhoo, Rinbudhoo, and Maaemboodhoo are registered.

Sun’s monitor at the polling center reports the issue arose an elderly female voter was given the Women’s Development Committee Elections ballot paper for Rinbudhoo instead of Bandidhoo.

“The voter was given the correct ballot paper for Local Council Elections,” said the monitor.

86 Rinbudhoo voters are registered to the box. The monitor reports the elderly voter was denied the opportunity recast her vote for the Bandhidhoo Women’s Development Council.

The issue has been submitted to the bureau. Elections Commission states it is looking into the issue.

13:30

Nasheed: Refraining from voting isn’t a solution, come and vote

MDP leader and Parliament Speaker, former President Mohamed Nasheed has called for more people to vote, stating that refraining from voting isn’t a solution.

He made the comment while speaking to press after casting his vote in the ongoing Local Council Elections.

Nasheed said that the vote of the people is crucial to building a nation, and that voting is a civic duty.

He appealed for more people to come and vote.

13:18
13:13

58% voter turnout in Kulhudhuffushi

Kulhudhuffushi City reports that 58 percent of registered voters have cast their votes in the Local Council Elections.

A local resident who spoke to Sun that voter turnout is low compared to previous elections, that the voter turnout in some of the six constituencies of Kulhudhuffushi  is lower than 40 percent.

13:00

Scores of voters travel out of Male’ to islands

Scores of people have begun travelling out of Male’ City to islands to vote in the ongoing Local Council Elections.

Sun’s reporter at the jetty area in front of MMA reports that scores of people are boarding speedboats headed to islands, arranged by political parties.

Health Protection Agency (HPA) has authorized for voters to travel to islands they are registered to vote in without undergoing mandatory quarantine.

Though allowed to travel without quarantine, they are required to return to the island they came from maximum 48 hours after voting.

13:00
12:48

President appeals for everyone to ‘vote without delay’

 

I have cast my vote in the ongoing Local Council Elections. The involvement of the people is crucial to building a decentralized Maldives. My appeal is for everyone to vote without delay.

President Solih
12:30

Sun’s reporter at the scene reports large crowd in Chaandhanee Magu - where multiple polling centers are located.

12:20
12:09

Sun’s reporter at Ameeniya School polling center reports some of the ballot boxes have less than 60 ballots.

12:06

Elections Commission states polling centers without queues will be closed at 06:00 pm.

11:45

 Voting in progress at the Kalaafaanu School polling center. Sun’s reporter at the scene reports voter turnout is low at the center.

11:38

Former President Yameen has not re-registered to vote

Former Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom - who is serving a five-year sentence for money laundering - has not re-registered to vote in the ongoing Local Council Elections.

Yameen is serving his sentence in Maafushi Prison.

However, he has not re-registered to vote in Maafushi Prison, and his name is still registered to Central Machangolhi Ballot Box no. 1 in Male’.

Former Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom. (File Photo/Sun/Ahmed Aushan Ilyas)
11:33
11:33

Nasheed’s visits to polling centers angers some voters

MDP leader and Parliament Speaker, former President Mohamed Nasheed’s visits to polling centers is angering some of the voters, resulted in heated verbal exchanges.

Wearing a shirt in yellow - his party color - Nasheed has been visiting polling centers in Male’ City stating he merely wishes to observe the proceedings since Saturday morning.

His presence at the polling center in Kalaafaanu School angered some of the voters, some of whom were vocal in their displeasure.

Nasheed is being seen talking to voters waiting in queue at polling centers and taking pictures with them.

11:20

President: We have surrendered powers, vote to change the system

11:00

President: MDP will win Male’ mayoral seat by a landslide

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said he expects MDP to win the mayoral seat in the capital with at least 65 percent of the votes.

He also said that while he understands the elections is being held under difficult conditions, he hopes to see more people will come out to vote.

10:44

President predicts ‘great victory’ for MDP in LCE 2020

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said he expects a greater victory for MDP in the ongoing Local Council Elections than the party’s landslide victory in the Parliamentary Elections 2019.

He made the comment while speaking to press after casting his vote.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih speaks to press after casting his vote in the Local Council Elections 2020 on April 10, 2021. (Sun Photo/Fayaz Moosa)
10:50

President Solih casts his vote

Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has cast his vote in the LCE 2020. He cast his vote to the ballot box for registered citizens of Lh. Hinnavaru residing in Male’ City kept in the hall of Jamaaluddin School.

10:28

Defense Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi has cast her vote, and is encouraging more people to exercise their right to vote.

10:08

Election results in cities will be faster

Elections Commission chairman Ahmed Shareef states counting results from the cities will be faster than other islands, as voters will need to mark four sections in ballots for local island councils (atoll council, president of island council, female councilor, and council president).

10:02

EC: This is the biggest election in Maldivian history

Elections Commission chairman Ahmed Shareef has declared the ongoing Local Council Elections 2020 as the biggest election organized by Elections Commission in Maldivian history, as both the Local Council Elections and the Women’s Development Committee Elections are being held simultaneously.

Shareef noted that it marks the first time for Elections Commission to organize Women’s Development Committee Elections.

Elections Commission chairman Ahmed Shareef shows the indelible ink mark on his finger after casting his vote in the Local Council Elections 2020 on April 10, 2021. (Photo/Ahmed Shareef)
09:00

Some of the polling stations empty of voters

Voter turnout in LCE 2020 is expected to be lower compared to previous elections. There aren’t any queues in many of the polling centers, and voting has not begun at some of the polling stations due to lack of voters. Elections Commission chairman Ahmed Shareef has also voiced concern over the low voter turnout.

Unable to begin voting due to lack of voters for some of the ballot boxes

Ahmed Shareef, EC chairman
08:45

Male’ mayoral candidates Anas and Muizzu cast their ballot

The main contenders for the Male’ City mayoral seat - Anas Abdul Sattar from ruling MDP and Dr. Mohamed Muizzu from opposition PPM have cast their ballots.

MDP candidate for Male' City Mayor, Anas Abdul Sattar casts his ballot in the Local Council Elections 2020 on April 10, 2021. (Sun Photo/Fayaz Moosa)

 

Anas cast his ballot to a box at the Hiriya School, while Muizzu cast his ballot to a box at the MNU Faculty of Sciences.

PPM candidate for Male' City Mayor, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu casts his ballot in the Local Council Elections 2020 on April 10, 2021. (Sun Photo/Fayaz Moosa)
07:53

EC chairman: Exercise your right, vote freely and safely

Elections Commission chairman Ahmed Shareef has called on voters to exercise their right to vote freely and safely.

Voting begins in Local Council Elections 2020 on April 10, 2021. (Sun Photo/Fayaz Moosa)
07:30

Voters were queued outside polling stations in populous islands such as Male’ City and Addu City waiting for polling centers to open at 07:00 am. While some of the polling centers failed to begin voting at sharp 07:00 am, voting has now begun in many of the polling centers.

Voting begins in Local Council Elections 2020 on April 10, 2021. (Sun Photo/Fayaz Moosa)
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