MTD opens application for Guraidhoo parliament by-election primary

Maldives Third-Way Democratics has opened applications for the party’s primary for the upcoming Guraidhoo parliamentary by-election.

The Guraidhoo seat was left vacant following the death of MP Ibrahim Riza on February 23^rd. He passed at the age of 55, in Malaysia, after a two-year-long battle with cancer.

Election Commission (EC) had earlier announced that the by-election will be held on April 15^th. Subsequently, political parties had opened applications for their respective primaries to elect a candidate to represent the party.

The deadline to file candidacy for MTD’s primary is 5:00pm on Saturday evening.

MTD said interested members can email to party’s email to express their interest in representing the party in the by-election.

Ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), main opposition party, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and Maldives National Party (MNP) also plans to contest in the by-election. Four individuals have filed their candidacy to compete in MDP’s primary which is scheduled for March 11^th. 

Meanwhile, PPM’s ticket for the by-election was won by Hussain Riza, the younger brother of late Guraidhoo MP Ibrahim Riza. PPM’s Spokesperson Heena Waleed, on Thursday, said only Hussain Riza filed his candidacy during the application period. Therewith, she said the party will be presenting its ticket for the Guraidhoo parliamentary by-election to Hussain Riza.

MNP has also opened applications for a primary – however have yet to finalize a candidate.

Ibrahim Riza, an attorney-at-law, had served at the Parliament for 13 consecutive years. He had been a member of multiple parliamentary committees, including the independent institutions committee, judiciary committee, and security services committee.

He had also served as vice president of the Judicial Service Commission during former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s administration.

Ibrahim Riza had been elected to the Parliament as an independent candidate in 2009. He later joined PPM.