An additional 16 candidates have withdrawn from the local council elections.
While the Local Council Elections and the Women’s Development Committee Elections 2020 had to be rescheduled for next year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, opportunity to withdraw was opened back in June.
The Elections Commission (EC) said that six out of the 16 candidates withdrew from the Women’s Development Committee Elections 2020.
The 16 include eight independent candidates, six from the main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and one each from Jumhooree Party (JP) and opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).
EC said that a total of 99 candidates have withdrawn their names since June.
The Local Council Elections and the Women’s Development Committee Elections 2020 were postponed through the People’s Majlis, to avoid a legal vacuum as the terms of existing councilors were to expire on June 3. The parliament passed the special motion back in April.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratified the bill to delay the elections, in May.
The Local Council Elections and the Women’s Development Committee Elections 2020 were originally slated for April 4.
