Official results of the Meedhoo Council President by-election announced; no changes to provisional results
PNC candidate Suha Ibrahim has won the re-run of the Dh. Meedhoo Council presidency election, which was ordered by the High Court following a previous tie. Suha secured the seat with 529 votes, defeating MDA candidate Mohamed Shahid, who received 449 votes. This victory follows a series of High Court rulings on contested council elections in Thimarafushi and Veyvah, all of which have concluded in favor of PNC candidates.
A total of 1,049 individuals are eligible to vote in this election, where three ballot boxes have been stationed. | Elections Commission
The Elections Commission has announced the official results of the re-vote for the presidency of the D. Meedhoo Island Council, which was held after candidates from the People's National Congress (PNC) and the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) initially received an equal number of votes.
In the election held on Saturday, the race for the presidency of the Meedhoo Council was contested between Suha and Mohamed Shahid, the candidate representing the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA).
A total of 1,049 individuals were eligible to vote in this election, where three ballot boxes were stationed. PNC candidate Suha secured the lead in all three boxes. Out of the 985 votes cast, Suha received 529 votes, while MDA candidate Shahid garnered 449 votes. There were 7 invalid ballots recorded. The Elections Commission has now announced the official results, which remain unchanged from the preliminary figures.
The PNC candidate has filed a case with the High Court after a recount of the Meedhoo No. 2 ballot box resulted in a voided vote for the party, securing the Dh. Meedhoo Council presidency for the MDA candidate. The legal challenge follows disputes regarding the initial vote count between the candidates of the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) and the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA).
The High Court judges presiding over the case have ruled that the 17th ballot in the disputed bundle is valid, as requested by the PNC candidate. This ruling 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.
Following the High Court order, a fresh election was held after the two candidates initially finished in a tie. Only two candidates contested this additional round of voting. The contenders were Suha Ibrahim of the People's National Congress (PNC), residing at Dilshaadhuge, Dh. Meedhoo, and Mohamed Shahid of the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), from Mushtareevilla, Dh. Meedhoo.
The re-run of the election for the President of the Dhaal Meedhoo Island Council was held on Saturday, June 13, 2026, with polling stations open from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Regarding other cases filed with the High Court concerning the council elections, the court has also 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. As a result, the High Court has 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 concerning the ballot box results from Veyvah in the recent local council elections. The ruling declared three votes previously cast for the MDP candidate as invalid, effectively securing the lead and victory for the PNC candidate.
