PNC wins three seats by default, including Lh. Atoll Council pres

The main ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) has secured three additional seats at local councils by default, without needing to contest byelections.

Byelections had been scheduled for Thursday, to elect a president to the Lh. Atoll Council, a member to the R. Hulhudhuffaaru Council, and another to the Lh. Hinnavaru’s women’s development committee.

But on late Saturday, the Elections Commission (EC) declared that PNC candidates won all three seats by default, after no other candidates applied by the deadline.

PNC’s Mohamed Sanee won the seat of the president of Lh. Atoll Council, while Fathimath Moosa won the vacant seat at the women’s development committee in Hinnavaru.

In Hulhudhuffaaru, Abdulla Samih was declared the winner of the vacant seat at the island’s council.

On Thursday, EC will hold byelections to elect members to vacancies at four councils.

This includes three vacancies at the Male’ City Council – after three councilors were elected to the Parliament in the elections held in April.

They are: Ibrahim Shujau, Ahmed Zameer and Ahmed Aifan.

Shujau, who had served as the councilman from the Hulhumale’ district, is now the parliamentary representative for the Baarah constituency.

Zameer, who had served as the councilman from Central Henveiru district, is now the constituency’s parliamentary representative.

Aifan was also elected as the parliamentary representative of the constituency he represented at the council – the West Henveiru district.

All three were elected to the Parliament on behalf of the PNC, and took their oath of office along with the rest of the 93-member new parliamentary assembly last month.

Polling will also take place in Kulhudhuffushi to elect a member to the city’s council, in F. Biledhdhoo to elect a president to the island’s council, and in R. Rasmaadhoo, to elect a member to the council.

The seat in Rasmaadhoo is reserved for women.

According to an earlier statement by the EC, polling will take place between 08:00 am and 04:00 pm on Thursday, and the official results will be announced on Saturday.