Election for Dh. Meedhoo Council President: Six-hour window granted for voter list complaints
The Elections Commission has scheduled a runoff for the Dhaal Meedhoo Council presidency on July 13, following a tie between the PNC and MDA candidates. The decision to hold a second round of voting comes in the wake of a High Court order, with the commission now opening the floor for complaints regarding the voters' list. The election will see a head-to-head contest between PNC candidate Suha Ibrahim and MDA candidate Mohamed Shahid.
The Elections Commission has released the list of eligible voters for the second round of polling, scheduled to take place this Saturday, July 13. | Elections Commission
The Elections Commission (EC) has opened a six-hour window for complaints regarding the voters' list for the Dhaalu Meedhoo Council President re-election. The fresh vote was called after candidates from the People's National Congress (PNC) and the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) ended in a deadlock.
The Elections Commission (EC) has published the list of eligible voters for the upcoming second round of elections, scheduled for Saturday, July 13. The Commission opened a window for submitting complaints regarding the voters' registry on Saturday, with the deadline set from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
According to the provisional list released by the Elections Commission, a total of 1,049 individuals are eligible to vote in this election.
The candidate from the People's National Congress (PNC) has filed a case with the High Court following a recount of the number two ballot box in Dh. Meedhoo. The recount, prompted by disputes over the initial vote tallies for the PNC and Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) candidates, resulted in one of the PNC candidate's votes being declared invalid. This shift in the count secured the presidency of the Meedhoo Council for the MDA candidate.
The High Court judges presiding over the case ruled in favor of the PNC candidate, declaring the 17th ballot in the invalid pile as a valid vote. This decision brings the PNC candidate to a tie with the MDA candidate. Consequently, the court has ordered the official election results to be amended and re-announced to reflect this change.
Following the High Court's ruling, a fresh election must be held as the two candidates are currently tied. Only two candidates will compete in the upcoming run-off election: Suha Ibrahim of the PNC, representing Dilshaduge, Dh. Meedhoo, and Mohamed Shahid of the MDA, representing Mushtareevilla, Dh. Meedhoo.
The Elections Commission has announced that the run-off election for the President of the Dhaalu Meedhoo Island Council will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2026. Voting is scheduled to take place from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The Commission further noted that the official results of the election will be declared on June 14.
Regarding other cases filed in the High Court concerning the council elections, the court has ruled in favor of Mohamed Imad, the PNC candidate who contested the Th. Thimarafushi Council seat. Imad had filed an election-related grievance seeking a recount of the ballot box located at Aminiya School, where discrepancies were noted. The High Court has subsequently ordered the Elections Commission to recount those ballots and re-determine the official results for that specific voting station.
Furthermore, the High Court of the Maldives has ruled in favor of the PNC candidate regarding a legal challenge over the results of the ballot box stationed in Veyvah during the recent local council elections. The court's decision to invalidate three votes previously counted for the MDP candidate has secured the lead for the PNC candidate.
