Three more candidates have withdrawn from the local elections scheduled for 2021.

The three candidates withdrew from the seats allocated for women in the Local Council Elections.

The candidates are Ilhama Easa representing Jumhooree Party (JP) who vied for one of the two seats allocated for women in the island council of Maduvvari island of Raa atoll, Mariyam Samra representing opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) who vied for one of the tea seats allocated for women in the island council of Hirimaradhoo island of Haa Dhaal atoll as well as Aishath Nafisa representing main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) who vied for one of the tea seats allocated for women in the island council of Hulhudheli island of Dhaalu atoll.

The opportunity to withdraw from the LCE and Women’s Development Committee Elections slated for 2020 was granted by the Elections Commission (EC) on June 23, under the Local Council Elections Act.

Numerous other candidates had also withdrawn from the Local Council Elections and the Women’s Development Committee Elections 2020, earlier. Those who wish to withdraw from the elections have been urged to fill out special forms designated to withdraw from the Local Council Elections and the Women’s Development Committee Elections 2020.

In May, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratified the special bill to delay the elections after the People’s Majlis passed the special motion, the Sunset Bill regarding the Local Council Elections, which stated that voting should be held by January 6, 2021, during April.

According to the bill, both elections which were originally scheduled to be held in April this year, will take place one year after the bill’s ratification.

Although the motion states that the latest date on which the elections may be held is January 6, 2021, the committee has amended the elections act mandating both elections to be held within a year after the amendments are implemented. The one-year period was given in order to vest the powers to allocate a date for the elections, to EC.

It also addresses certain issues that had arisen due to the need to postpone the elections; it lifts the suspension on civil servants who had been contesting for the councils, and allows candidates who had already been selected to compete for local councils to put their names forward in the rescheduled elections.