The Elections Commission of the Maldives has on Monday announced that candidacy for the upcoming parliamentary elections are now open.

This was announced at an event held to launch the commission’s new logo, where commissioner Ahmed Shareef said that candidacy is open from Tuesday onwards. 

Shareef said at Monday’s event that all the administrative preparations for the elections, to be held on 6th April are now complete. 

The commission’s deadline for parties to hold internal primary elections expired this week as well; the only parties that held primary votes were the Maldivian Democratic Party and their coalition partner, Adhaalath Party.

The Adhaalath Party is contesting for 13 seats while the Maldivian Democratic Party will be contesting for 86 seats. 

Government coalition partners Jumhooree Party and the Maumoon Reform Movement, as well as former ruling party Progressive Party of Maldives and People’s National Congress are contesting in the upcoming ballots.

Newly established Maldives Labour and Social Democratic Party and the Maldives Third Way Democrats have also said they may field candidates for the elections.

The People’s Majlis elections are to be held on April 6th.