Democrats vote to elect top party officials

The newest political party registered in the Maldives, the Democrats, have opened voting in their first internal election.

Polls opened across the Maldives at 10:00 am Saturday, and will close at 04:00 pm.

The Democrats set to elect officials to 35 positions, including the position of party’s leader and deputy leaders.

The party’s top position is being contested by Hussain Amr Mohamed Rashad, former managing director of State Trading Organization (STO), and Hussain Latheef, the incumbent West Henveiru MP and party’s interim chairperson.

The party is electing two deputy leaders; a youth deputy leader and a woman deputy leader.

Three candidates are contesting for the position of youth deputy leader; Hussain Firushan – the incumbent Madaveli MP, Mohamed Ansar, and Mohamed Alan.

Meanwhile, two are contesting for the position of the woman deputy leader; Mariyam Rehan Nazim and Aishath Alaika Adnan.

The Democrats was officially registered as a political party in July. It is an offshoot of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), loyal to the party’s former leader and Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed.