The Local Council Elections will now be held on April 8, The Elections Commission (EC) has announced.
The announcement was made at a press conference held Sunday night at the Local Council Elections headquarters, located in the former Jamaluddin School building. Prospective candidates can now register to stand for the elections, the commission said, adding that those who had earlier filed nomination papers are required to resubmit them. Prospective candidates have till February 7 to file their nomination papers.
The Local Council Elections, originally scheduled for January 14, were delayed after the Civil Court ordered the Elections Commission to postpone the elections by two months. The court ruling followed a petition filed by the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), citing that the party's leadership dispute had hindered its efforts to prepare for the elections. The commission initially filed an appeal against the Civil Court's order but later withdrew it.
The vote will see the election of 651 members to island, atoll and city councils.