Political parties have been ceaselessly campaigning for their candidates in the Guraidhoo constituency by-election.
The candidates contesting the vacant Guraidhoo Constituency Parliament seat are Ibrahim Shaz, who received the main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) ticket after winning the primary election, and Ali Areef who received the Maldives National Party (MNP) ticket. The main opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) awarded its ticket to Hussain Riza, the younger brother of the late Parliamentarian Ibrahim Riza who filled the seat for three terms.
The Guraidhoo seat became vacant after Parliamentarian Riza passed away on February 23 while undergoing treatment for cancer in Malaysia. Riza represented the Guraidhoo constituency as a member of PPM for 15 years.
At a campaign event, Chairperson of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Fayyaz Ismail said the main ruling party is heavily involved in the Guraidhoo constituency and that the administration’s goal of developing the constituent islands can only be effectively completed with the election of a member of the main ruling party.
ECM has scheduled the Guraidhoo constituency by-election for April 15 and has implored parties to campaign in a way that does not violate the rights of other candidates.