The Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has announced that a total of 183 candidates have submitted their application forms for the upcoming parliamentary election.
ECM initiated the application process on January 30 last year, with the deadline set for February 14.
Vice President of ECM Ismail Habeeb said that 115 people have submitted forms on February 13 to contest the parliamentary election. With only a few days remaining until the deadline, he emphasised that a total 183 candidates have submitted their forms so far.
Additionally, Habeeb encouraged interest candidates to submit their forms promptly, advising against waiting until the last minute. He cautioned that last-minute submissions might not allow sufficient time to address any issues that may arise.
ECM facilitated the process by making the necessary forms available for submission in January. The commission also decided to recognise criminal records completed by the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA) and the Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) after December 14 of last year.
Initially scheduled for March 17, ECM decided to adjust the parliamentary election date to accommodate the month of Ramadan. If the election falls during Ramadan, it will be held 10 days after Ramadan concludes. Any changes to the election date will be contingent on approval from the President.