The President of the Election Commission of the Maldives (ECM), Mohamed Zahid, has said all preparations are complete to ensure free and fair voting in the elections scheduled for 4 April.
Three votes will take place on Saturday, including the local council elections, Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections, and a referendum on constitutional amendments to combine the presidential and parliamentary elections. A total of 294,876 individuals are eligible to vote.
Zahid said the commission has taken the necessary steps to ensure that the voting process is conducted fairly, safely, and without undue influence. He noted the cooperation received from state institutions, government ministries, associations, and the public, and expressed hope that this would continue until the end of the electoral process.
A total of 1,368 candidates are contesting the local council election for 678 seats across 225 constituencies, while 1,593 candidates are vying for the same number of seats in the WDC election. A total of 588 polling stations have been set up nationwide for the elections.
The elections will be observed by 1,626 local observers and 38 international observers. In addition, 4,021 individuals will act as candidate representatives, while 3,275 election officials will oversee the process.