All candidates have accepted the invitation to participate in the Male' City mayoral debate to be hosted by the Public Service Media (PSM) on January 6.
In preparation for the mayoral debate, PSM will hold meetings with the candidates and share information on how the debate will be conducted. It also includes a lucky draw to determine the order in which candidates will be given the opportunity to speak.
Five candidates will be running for the mayoral seat. They are former Attorney General Azima Shakoor representing the ruling PPM/PNC coalition and former CEO of MTCC Adam Azim representing the main opposition MDP. Other candidates include incumbent City Councilor Mohamed Saif Fathih representing The Democrats as well as former Commissioner of Police Hussain Waheed and Shuaib Ali who are running as independent candidates.
During the PSM debate programme, the candidates will be given the opportunity to provide information about their plans for the development of Male' City. The debate will also be an opportunity for residents of Male' City to vote for the most suitable mayor. In addition to the mayoral debate, on-air time will be allocated to present the candidates' policies.
This is the first instance where numerous candidates are competing in the Male' City mayoral election. The upcoming election is anticipated to be fiercely contested, with candidates engaging in door-to-door campaigns, meeting residents, and communicating their policies for Male' City.
The Male' City Council by-election and Male' City mayoral by-election will be held on January 13. The position of Male’ City mayor became vacant after President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu resigned to assume office in November. Simultaneously, the three council seats became vacant as councilors resigned to take on roles in the new administration.