Elections Commission is conducting a training program to prepare it's staff for the upcoming presidential election.

The one-day training program began at 09:00 this a.m and is to conclude at 05:00 p.m.

Elections Commission member Ahmed Akram said that all of the commission's staff are taking part in the program that is to train their staff to be principled and efficient monitors and observers in the ballots.

While the training program in Male' has begun today, the commission is to send four teams into the outlying atolls to train observers of the island ballots on the 24th of April.

Akram reassures that observers will be fully trained within the next two months, adding that this year's ballots will be thoroughly monitored and supervisors will be managing everything that happens throughout the election.

He further said that observers will be trained to efficiently tackle any obstacles they face throughout the ballots and that they will operate under an orderly fashion.

"Both the commission's senior and junior staff are partaking in the program. Our hope is to make the best out of our efforts in training them to become observers who can power through the election in a well regulated manner and be able to answer the questions of citizens. Issues that arose in the past elections have been noted and we will be fully prepared to make sure they do not arise this time. More than 4000 vote officials will be active in this year's election" said Akram.

The trainers of the program are officials of the commission who are experienced in the field and have studied the election ambiance closely.