The Elections Commission has begun the official draw to assign candidate numbers for those contesting the upcoming Local Council and Women’s Development Committee elections, with ballot positions now confirmed for key mayoral contenders.
The draw commenced at 10am on Friday, with candidates learning their assigned numbers for the April 4 polls.
In the race for Malé City Mayor, Moosa Ali Jaleel, representing the People’s National Congress (PNC), secured ballot number four. Opposition candidate Adam Azim of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) drew number three. A total of five candidates are in contention for the capital’s mayoral seat.
The Elections Commission confirmed that 2,994 candidates have filed to contest in the upcoming elections, which will see representatives chosen for both island and city councils, as well as Women’s Development Committees.
Six political parties are participating in the polls. Of the total candidates, 1,210 are representing political parties, while 401 are contesting as independents.
Voters will elect 626 councillors to island councils and 52 councillors to city councils. An equal number of representatives will be chosen for Women’s Development Committees across the country.
According to the commission, 294,937 eligible voters are registered to cast their ballots in the election. The final and permanent list of candidates is scheduled to be officially announced on Saturday.
The April 4 elections are expected to shape local governance across the Maldives, with heightened interest surrounding the Malé mayoral race.
