Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has announced ballot boxes will not be placed in Malaysia and the UK for the upcoming local council elections.
In a tweet, President of ECM Ahmed Shareef revealed the commission has received confirmation that Malaysia and UK will not be granting permission to place ballot boxes for the upcoming elections. Therefore, Maldivians living in Malaysia and UK will not be able to vote without returning to the Maldives or travelling to another country where ballot boxes will be placed for the election.
The local council elections are scheduled to be held on April 10. However, ECM has announced an appeal will be made to the Parliament of the Maldives to postpone the elections, given the difficulties in meeting the April 10 deadline while following the HPA guidelines for the elections. ECM has stated preparations for the election will continue until a decision is made on postponing the elections.