The Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has revealed that individuals contesting for the 2024 parliamentary election are not required to be affiliated with a political party.
According to ECM Vice President Ismail Habeeb, individuals registered with a political party can run as independent candidates in the parliamentary election. He clarified that candidates running on a political party's ticket are not obligated to be members of that specific party.
Additionally, Habeeb explained that candidates running under a political party must submit a resolution from the party nominating them. He also said that independent candidates need to provide signatures from 50 constituency members supporting their candidacy.
ECM is making efforts to conduct the parliamentary election early next year, aiming for it to coincide with the month of Ramadan or take place shortly after. Discussions between ECM and the Parliamentary Committee on Independent Institutions have explored the possibility of holding the election after Ramadan to allow candidates more time for campaigning. ECM assured that the election would be conducted within the legal time frame.