EC ‘fully prepared’ for presidential election

The Elections Commission (EC) says it is now fully prepared to hold the presidential election on Saturday.

EC’s vice chairman Ismail Habeeb told Sun on Thursday that it finished sending ballot papers and all security equipment to islands on Wednesday.

International monitors and observers began arriving in the Maldives on Wednesday.

According to Habeeb, they will all be in Maldives by Friday.

“We are fully prepared for the election,” said Habeeb.

282,395 people are eligible to vote in the presidential election on Saturday, including over 27,000 first-time voters.

This year’s election is seeing the greatest number of candidates to date – with eight presidential hopefuls. This includes five candidates from political parties, and three independent candidates.

They are:

• Umar Naseer (Independent)
• Hassan Zameel (Independent)
• President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (MDP)
• Dr. Mohamed Muizzu (PNC)
• Qasim Ibrahim (JP)
• Ahmed Faris Maumoon (Independent)
• Ilyas Labeeb (The Democrats)
• Mohamed Nazim (MNP)

Voters can use eFaas or digital ID to vote in the election.

EC said it will accept four official documents; national ID card, passport, passport card, and driver’s license.

Voters must use either blue or black ink to mark ballot papers – a decision the commission said it made to maintain voter confidentiality.

Meanwhile, ballots with extra marks, drawings or writings will be deemed invalid.