Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has stated all candidates have equal opportunity to campaign for the upcoming Local Council Elections (LCE) and the Women's Development Committee Elections (WDCE).
In an interview with PSM News, President of ECM Ahmed Shareef highlighted the elections are being held under special circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Responding to public concerns, Shareef said all candidates will have an equal opportunity to campaign and concerns of unfair regulations and guidelines are unfounded and serve only to cause disorder.
Shareef further noted the political parties and candidates wish to hold the elections as soon as possible. He stated all preparations for the elections are being carried out, and voting stations will be available in all islands, adding voting will also proceed in islands under monitoring, with the assistance from the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
ECM has revealed 273,128 people are eligible to vote in the LCE and WDCE, after the polls were postponed by an year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 3,934 candidates will contest in the elections to be held on April 10, including 2,264 candidates in the LCE and 1,670 candidates in the WDCE.