Voting in the main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)'s primaries for the Local Council Elections 2020, is proceeding.

While voting commenced at 02:30pm across the entire Maldives on Friday, it is expected to proceed until 07:30pm, revealed the main ruling party.

980 councilors are to be elected through the Local Council Elections, slated for 4 April 2020 and MDP earlier revealed that they received 1,246 application forms to contest in the party’s primaries by the time the deadline approached.

389 candidates have been guaranteed party tickets to contest for the upcoming elections, said MDP. 381 out of the 389 who had tickets guaranteed to them, are running for island councils and out of atoll councils, Haa Alif and Faafu atoll councils’ presidency has also been guaranteed to two.

Other constituencies include west-Fuvahmulah, west-Maafannu in capital city Malé, north-west- Maafannu, central-Maafannu, west-Galolhu and north-Henveiru constituency.

Over 90,000 individuals are eligible to vote during the party’s primaries, with MDP having predicted that 70 percent of members will cast their ballots.

A total of 169 ballot boxes have been placed across the Maldives for the primaries out of which 93 are placed at polling stations in outlying atolls.

In capital city Malé, ballot boxes have been placed at Dharubaaruge, Kalaafaanu School, Majeediya School, Imaaduddin School, Iskandhar School and the MDP campaign site. Ballot boxes have also been placed at Muhiyuddin School in Villimalé and at Rehendhi School in Hulhumalé.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Speaker of Parliament, Former President Mohamed Nasheed have also cast their ballots in the ongoing main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) primaries for the Local Council Elections, alongside First Lady Fazna Ibrahim and several others.