Candidacy opens for 2023 presidential election

Elections Commission (EC) has opened candidacy for the 2023 presidential election – slated to take place on September 9.

In an announcement published on the Government Gazette on Saturday, the EC said candidacy for the presidential election will be open from 09:00 am Sunday, July 23, to 02:00 pm on August 4.

Eligibility for presidential candidacy includes, being a Maldivian citizen born to Maldivian parents, being a Sunni Muslim, being at least 35 years of age, and being of sound mind.

Candidates who have been convicted of a crime punishable under Islamic sharia, or of corruption or fraud, will be disqualified.

Meanwhile, candidates who have been sentenced to over 12 months for a criminal offense will only be eligible at least three years after the completion or commutation of their sentence.

283,272 people are eligible to vote in this year’s election, including 21,137 first-time voters.

Voter re-registration opened last Sunday, and will close at 04:00 pm on August 5.

Voters who wish to vote in a location other than the one they are registered to can file for re-registration during the period.

However, voters to re-registered to Male’ for the 2020 local election do not need to re-register.

EC has launched an online portal to submit re-registration forms. Requests can be submitted to the portal until the end of June 31.

Physical re-registration forms are issued and accepted from the EC’s election center – Dharubaaruge – in Male’, and from local councils in other residential islands.

EC has announced plans to install 604 ballot boxes for this year’s election. However, the figure may change once re-registration is complete.

The official results of the presidential election will be announced on September 15.