Ibrahim 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, has taken his oath of office.

Shaaz took his oath of office as a parliamentarian during the People’s Majlis sitting held on Monday.

Supreme Court Justice Aisha Shujoon administered the oath of office to the new MP.

The ceremony was joined by the Speaker of Parliament and Former President Mohamed Nasheed as well as some parliamentarians.

Speaker Nasheed welcomed the new Guraidhoo MP to the parliament during Monday’s sitting. Following the administration of his oath, Shaaz joined the parliament sitting on Monday.

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

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.