Polls open in MDP primaries for Majlis elections

Polls opened on Saturday in the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s primaries for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The polls opened at 09:00 am and are set to close at 05:00 pm.

MDP’s deputy chairperson Ibrahim Waheed (Ibrey) told Sun that the polls opened on time. He added that the polling is going ahead without incident.

MDP is holding primaries for 40 electoral districts. 25,325 people are eligible to vote in the election.

The party has installed 95 ballot boxes in the atolls, and 26 in the greater Male’ area. Polling is underway in the Male’ City at Majeediyya School and Jamaluddin School.

The party is holding primaries for three districts in Hulhumale’. The North Hulhumale’ box is in Kamil Didi Pre-school in Phase II, while the South Hulhumale’ and Central Hulhumale’ boxes are in Mohamed Qasim Pre-school in Phase I.

46 of the party’s candidates have already secured tickets, either because they had run unopposed or because other candidates withdrew their name.

They are:

• Ahmed Saleem, Hoarafushi constituency
• Mohamed Arif, Ihavandhoo constituency
• Mohamed Raee, Makunudhoo constituency
• Ali Riza, Milandhoo constituency
• Mohamed Shahid, Funadhoo constituency
• Ahmed Fathih, Holhudhoo constituency
• Ismail Ahmed, Dhuvaafau constituency
• Mohamed Shafeeq, Thulhaadhoo constituency
• Jeehan Mahmood, Hinnavaru constituency
• Ibrahim Ameer, Thulusdhoo constituency
• Ali Ameez, Maamigili constituency
• Ikram Hassan, Dhiggaru constituency
• Iyas Ismail Latheef, Meedhoo constituency
• Hassan Shinan, Guraidhoo constituency
• Hussain Aboobakr, Fonadhoo constituency
• Yauqoob Abdulla, Dhaandhoo constituency
• Ahmed Saeed, Gemanafushi constituency
• Sayyah Khaleel, Kolamaafushi constituency
• Ahmed Gais, North Thinadhoo constituency
• Ahmed Zain, Faresmaathodaa constituency
• Ahmed Saeed Mohamed, Gadhdhoo constituency
• Hussain Mohamed Didi, Central Fuvahmulah constituency
• Mohamed Aslam, North Hithadhoo constituency
• Ibrahim Nazil, South Hithadhoo constituency
• Ibrahim Ali Jaleel, Central Henveiru constituency
• Hussain Shaheem, South Henveiru constituency
• Mohamed Ibrahim, North Galolhu constituency
• Meekail Ahmed Naseem, South Galolhu constituency
• Liraam Waheed, North Machangolhi constituency
• Abdulla Sinan, South Machangolhi constituency
• Mohamed Falah, West Maafannu constituency
• Ahmed Amir, Central Maafannu constituency
• Hassan Iyad Saleem, South Maafannu constituency
• Akram Kamaluddin, Central Machangolhi constituency
• Kanditheemu constituency – Ameen Faisal
• Inguraidhoo constituency – Saleem Hussain
• Kurendhoo constituency – Ali Niyaz
• Huraa constituency – Shathir Abdul Rahman
• Dhangethi constituency – Rugiyya Mohamed
• Mulah constituency – Moosa Shiyam Abdulla Ali
• Gan constituency – Abdulla Shareef
• Gemanafushi constituency – Ahmed Saeed
• Gadhdhoo constituency – Ahmed Saeed Mohamed
• North Henveiru constituency – Ibrahim Muizzu

MDP had achieved a sweeping victory in the 2019 elections, securing a supermajority in the Parliament. But the party lost the recent presidential elections to the PPM-PNC, and needs to win big in this year’s parliamentary elections in order to maintain its political clout.

The parliamentary elections is scheduled for March 17. However, the MDP has submitted a bill seeking to postpone the election to after Ramadan.