The President’s Office has ordered the Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) to vacate the old Jamaluddin School building to construct a new building for Arabiyya School in the land plot.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih decided to develop a new building for Arabiyya School after signs of wear and tear were found at the premises, including large structural cracks on the building. Ministry of Education has temporarily transferred students of Arabiyya School to the MTCC Sawmill building, which had previously housed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
President Solih had met with members of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of Arabiyya School to discuss the issue. During the meeting, the president announced the decision to construct a new building for Arabiyya School in the land plot of old Jamaluddin School, which currently houses the elections centre of ECM.
Secretary-General of ECM Hassan Zakariya said the President’s Office has ordered ECM to vacate the building by the end of the weekend and that preparations have been made to temporarily store some of the items and equipment of ECM at the Arabiyya School building. He said the electoral body is now searching for a new office, while employees continue their work to prepare for upcoming elections at the main office of the ECM.
Furthermore, Zakariya said the old Jamaluddin School building consists of the files and items related to all previous elections and also houses the most important three elections-related sections of ECM. However, he acknowledged the importance of constructing a new building for Arabiyya School students as quickly as possible.