Only 120 candidates sign voters' list by Monday

Only 120, of the 386 candidates running for the 19th parliament, have signed the voters' lists, says Elections Commission Ahmed Shareef.

Shareef via twitter said that only 120 candidates had signed the voters' lists by Monday, adding that candidates will be able to sign the list before 2:30pm on Tuesday.

A photo attached to the tweet shows that 35 of the 85 candidates competing from the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have thus far signed the voters' lists, while four of the nine candidates from its coalition partner Adhaalath Party (AP) signed the lists. Another partner, Jumhooree Party (JP) is fielding 41 candidates, but only 10 had signed the lists by Monday.

Furthermore, the list shows that only 14 candidates from the opposition 'Progressive' coalition had signed the lists- seven, each, from Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and People's National Congress (PNC).

All eight candidates from Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) have signed the lists.

While three new parties- Maldives Third Way Democrats (MTD) Maldives Labour and Social Democratic Party (Labour Party) and PNC- have been registered since last year's presidential election, they are also fielding candidates in the upcoming elections.

However, none of the candidates from MTD have signed the lists- out of eight- while only two of the 10 candidates from the Labour Party have done so.

In addition, Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) is fielding five candidates in the parliamentary election but the candidates are yet to sign the voters' lists.

A total of 174 candidates are running independently, and only 47 have signed the lists thus far.

While the signature of candidates is required on the lists used at polling stations, EC began taking signatures of candidates (or representatives) for the final voters list on Sunday.

264,589 are eligible to vote in the elections scheduled for April 6.