Voting begins for North Hithadhoo by-election

Voting has commenced in the by-election to elect a representative for the vacant North Hithadhoo constituency seat in the People's Majlis.

According to the Elections Commission, polling for the election commenced at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday. The Commission stated that voting will continue until 4:00 p.m. today.

A total of seven ballot boxes have been set up for this election. These include five boxes stationed in Hithadhoo, Addu City, and two boxes in Malé specifically for constituents residing in the capital. In Hithadhoo, the polling stations are located at Hithadhoo School, while voting in Malé is being conducted at Dharumavantha School. According to statistics released by the Elections Commission, a total of 4,121 individuals are eligible to vote in this by-election.

The race for the North Hithadhoo constituency features Abdulla Sodiq (Sobe), who served three consecutive terms as the Mayor of Addu City representing the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), and Ahmed Saeed (Soda) from the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC). While Sodiq secured the MDP ticket without a primary, Ahmed Saeed was awarded the PNC candidacy following the sudden withdrawal of former MP Mohamed Sinan, who had initially won the party's primary.

The seat for this constituency became vacant following a Supreme Court ruling on April 12, which declared that the incumbent member, Mohamed Sinan, no longer met the constitutional requirements to hold office. Sinan lost his seat due to an outstanding judgment debt related to a 5 million Rufiyaa loan taken from the Maldives Islamic Bank, which he had failed to repay in accordance with the court's original verdict.

As the by-election progresses, the Elections Commission has urged all eligible voters to cast their ballots as early as possible.