The ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) has secured a key victory in Dh. Meedhoo, winning the by-election held to elect the island council president following a lengthy legal dispute over the results of the Local Council Elections.
PNC candidate Suha Ibrahim emerged victorious in Saturday’s vote, defeating Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) candidate Mohamed Shahid by a margin of 80 votes.
According to election results, Suha received a total of 529 votes, while Shahid secured 449 votes.
The PNC candidate led in all three ballot boxes used in the election. In the first ballot box placed in Meedhoo, Suha obtained 145 votes compared to Shahid’s 128. The second ballot box also favored Suha, who received 149 votes against Shahid’s 129.
Meanwhile, voters from Meedhoo residing in Malé also backed the PNC candidate, giving Suha 235 votes and Shahid 192 votes.
A total of 1,049 voters were eligible to cast ballots in the election, with two ballot boxes stationed in Meedhoo and one in the capital.
The by-election was triggered after a legal battle stemming from the Local Council Elections held in April. During that election, the contest between Suha and Shahid became one of the closest races in the country.
Initial provisional results showed Suha winning the council president seat by a single vote, securing 393 votes against Shahid’s 392.
However, following a complaint filed by the MDA, the Elections Commission invalidated two votes that had originally been counted in favor of Suha. The decision shifted the outcome and sparked a legal challenge by the PNC candidate.
The matter eventually reached the High Court, which ruled that one of the disputed ballots should be considered valid because the voter’s intention was clearly identifiable despite markings on the ballot paper. The ruling resulted in both candidates being tied at 392 votes each, necessitating a fresh election.
Saturday’s vote ultimately provided a decisive outcome, with voters delivering a clear victory to Suha and handing the PNC control of the council presidency.
The ruling party also recorded success in the other by-elections held in Meedhoo.
Hussein Rasheed of the PNC won the vacant council member seat after defeating MDA candidate Mohamed Taufiq by 42 votes.
Similarly, the women’s seat on the council was secured by PNC candidate Miska Abdul Rahman, who defeated Aminath Maureen of the MDA with a commanding lead of 94 votes.
The results represent a clean sweep for the PNC in Meedhoo and further strengthen the party’s local government presence following a series of closely contested elections across the country.
The outcome is also likely to be viewed as a significant political boost for the ruling party, which has been seeking to consolidate support at the island level following last year’s local council elections.
