Sunday marks the final day of applications for the upcoming Local Council Elections and Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections.
The Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM) opened this opportunity from 17th Jan to 1st February, with many candidates already having submitted applications during this period.
Applications can be submitted via the main ECM portal today and tomorrow during specified hours. The portal was launched to streamline the process for both candidates and elections officials. Information submitted can be verified more easily, and a quicker response can be received.
The ECM also revealed the most common errors in the submissions. These include Criminal/Debt clearance not being submitted for the specified lifetime period, details for crime/debt not submitted for those with existing debt or a criminal record and the lack of submission of complete documents. The commission has urged candidates to ensure that all necessary documents are included prior to submitting the application.
The local council and WDC elections are scheduled to be held on 4th April. As part of this election, 626 candidates will be elected for island councils, and 52 for city council positions. An equal number of candidates will also be appointed for WDC.
Eligible voters comprise of 144,527 women and 150,410 men, bringing the total to 294,937 individuals.