News Desk
The draw to determine the order of candidates for the upcoming local council elections and Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections was conducted today. The elections are scheduled to take place on 4 April.
The draw for Malé City candidates was held at the Elections Centre, while in islands and atoll councils the process took place at local council offices. However, due to an ongoing court case, no draw was held in K. Thulusdhoo and K. Guraidhoo today.
According to the Elections Commission, a total of 2,994 candidates initially filed nominations. Thirty‑two later withdrew, bringing the final number of contestants to 2,962. Of those who withdrew, 31 were WDC candidates.
A total of 1,116 candidates from five political parties, along with 267 independents, will contest the polls. The breakdown is as follows:
- PNC: 658 candidates
- MDP: 417 candidates
- MDA: 28 candidates
- JP: 7 candidates
- AP: 6 candidates
A total of 626 councillors will be elected to island councils and 52 to city councils. An equal number of members will be elected to the Women’s Development Committees. Altogether, 294,937 people are eligible to vote.
The permanent list of candidates will be officially announced on Saturday following the completion of the name‑sorting process.
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