Ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has won the People’s Majlis seat for K. Guraidhoo constituency.

According to the preliminary results announced by the Elections Commission, MDP’s candidate Mohamed Shaaz garnered 1,340 votes in Saturday’s by-election for the vacant Guraidhoo seat.

Candidate of the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Hussain Riza followed close with 1,226 votes, according to the preliminary results.

With this, MDP currently has 68 parliamentary seats.

A total of 3,423 were eligible to vote in Saturday’s by-election and out of those, 2,755 individuals had cast their ballots including 1,431 men and 1,324 women.

Following Shaaz’s win, the MDP Secretariat had taken to Twitter congratulating him.

The K. Guraidhoo seat was left vacant following the passing of former Guraidhoo MP Ibrahim Riza.

Riza, the parliamentarian for K. Guraidhoo constituency, passed away in February.

The lawmaker had been undergoing treatment for cancer for a long period of time before his passing.

Riza had been seeking treatment from abroad due to his declining health and died while receiving treatment for cancer in Malaysia.

The late lawmaker had served as an MP during the 17th and 18th People’s Majlis as well.

Riza was also elected member of the People’s Majlis at the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), during the previous administration.