The Maldives National Defense Force has begun providing security for Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates on Saturday.
While the Elections Commission assigned candidacy numbers to the candidates contesting in the approaching September ballots on Saturday, MNDF began providing security to the candidates and running mates later that night, as per regulations.
The only contestants vying for the Presidential Election slated for the 23rd of September are incumbent President Abdulla Yameen who is contesting for re-election on the ruling party ticket and main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s Ibrahim Mohamed Solih contesting on the Joint Opposition parties’ ticket. MNDF said that it has begun providing security to both candidates and their running mates.
At a ceremony held by the Elections Commission on Saturday, President Yameen was assigned the number ‘one’ and opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was assigned the number ‘two’, after which they are now officially allowed to begin campaigning which is to be followed under a rulebook given to each contestant by the EC.
