MDP wins Dhiggaru, Gaadhiffushi by-elections

Abdulla Areef, from MDP won Dhiggaru Council’s by-election and MDP candidate Zulaikha Ahmed won Gaadhiffushi Council’s seat assigned for women. (Sun Graphics / Ali Shahin)

On Saturday, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) won the by-elections from M. Dhiggaru and Th. Gaadhiffushi.

MDP won both seats after contesting with the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) contestants.

Abdulla Areef, the MDP candidate won Dhiggaru Council’s by-election with 375 votes. Meanwhile, the PPM candidate Abdul Hanaan received 325.

In the by-election held for the Gaadhiffushi Council’s seat assigned for women, MDP won with a difference of only nine votes.

While MDP candidate Zulaikha Ahmed received 210 votes, the PPM candidate Hawwa Abdul Haadhy got 201 votes.

The Dhiggaru council seat was left vacant after the former member Ibrahim Khaleel handed in his resignation. He contested independently.

Meanwhile, the Gaadhiffushi seat was vacated after the former member Mariyam Hassan, who was from MDP resigned.

The Election Commission (EC) was granted a total of MVR 1.5 million to make arrangements for by-elections. The commission has previously stated that 1.4 million has already been used up for by elections of the Women’s Development Commission (WDC).