Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has stated the upcoming local council elections will not be affected by Health Protection Agency (HPA)’s decision to revoke the permission to conduct campaign trips without quarantine.
HPA had formed a guideline for the elections, as specified under the first amendment to the Special Act on Local Council Elections, which was passed to allow the elections to be held amid the State of Public Health Emergency. However, ECM had raised a number of issues related to the guideline, including the lack of equal opportunities to campaign due to the travelling restrictions.
Following a meeting with ECM and the Parliamentary Committee on Independent Institutions, HPA decided to revise the guideline on March 11 to allow candidates and their representatives to travel from Male’ to islands for up to 5 days without quarantine. However, following public backlash, HPA revoked this decision less than 24 hours after announcing the change to the guideline.
Speaking to PSM News, ECM President Ahmed Shareef said revoking the decision to allow candidates to campaign without quarantine will have no significant bearing on the election itself. However, Shareef said ECM has requested HPA to facilitate equal opportunities for candidates from all parties to campaign for the election.
The local council elections are scheduled to be held on April 10. The Electoral Act states candidates must be provided a minimum of 28 days to conduct their campaign. Therefore, the campaigning period starts on March 12, and ends at 1800hrs on April 9.