Mohamed Shaaz, the candidate from ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) who won the People’s Majlis seat for K. Guraidhoo constituency in the recent by-election, will take oath of office next week.

The People’s Majlis revealed that Shaaz will be taking his oath of office as a parliamentarian at 10am on Monday April 24.

The MDP candidate will also be joining the parliament sitting that day, following the administration of his oath.

Shaaz secured 1,346 votes in the by-election for the vacant Guraidhoo seat. This is 49.96 percent of the voter turnout.

Final results announced by the Elections Commission show that candidate of the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Hussain Riza followed closely with 1,226 votes while Maldives National Party (MNP)’s candidate Ali Areef received just 122 votes which is just 4.53 percent of the voter turnout.

A total of 3,423 people were eligible to vote in the Guraidhoo by-election and out of those, 2,755 individuals had cast their ballots.

With this, MDP currently has 68 parliamentary seats.

This marked the first time MDP has secured the Guraidhoo seat in parliament over the course of the past 14 years.

The K. Guraidhoo seat was left vacant following the passing of former Guraidhoo MP Ibrahim Riza who has been serving as the parliamentarian for Guraidhoo constituency for the past 14 years.

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.