Landslide win for opposition in local council vote
The Elections Commission has yet to finish announcing their results – at 96 percent completion as of now
A voter's electoral ink pictured during the Local Council Elections on 6th May, 2017
The aggregate results for Saturday’s ballots for the Local Council Elections show a landslide win for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and its opposition partners.
While the Elections Commission has yet to finish announcing their results – at 96 percent completion as of now, RaajjeMV’s results show that MDP has acquired 305 out of 664 seats.
MDP had acquired all seven seats for the council in Addu City, and all seats except one for Malé City Council.
Along with the Jumhooree Party, the opposition has 325 seats.
The ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), which had the most candidates contesting, and its coalition partner the Maldives Development Alliance had together acquired 210 seats.
Independent candidates had acquired 101 seats while a single candidate from the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party had acquired a seat as well.
13 candidates that were the sole contestants for seats in their constituencies had been elected prior to the vote.
A total of 422 ballot boxes had been placed across the country on Saturday, and while there were complaints over delays in ballot openings, voting in some polling stations - namely in Maafushi prison - had continued on to the following day.
