Voting arrangements will be made for islands under monitoring: EC President

President of the Elections Commission Ahmed Shareef has stated that voting arrangements will be made for islands under monitoring, for the upcoming Local Council and Women's Development Committee (WDC) Elections scheduled to be held on 10 April 2021.

Speaking to Raajje MV, EC President Shareef stated that many islands were being placed under monitoring at this time following the detection of positive Covid-19 cases. He added discussions were underway with the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to determine the procedure to be followed if an island is placed under monitoring close to the elections. EC President Shareef also declared that the HPA also supported the hosting of elections, recognizing it as a critical tenet of the democratic process in the Maldives.

EC President Shareef went on to detail that ballot boxes and other physical resources needed to conduct elections would be handed over to focal points on islands under monitoring by EC officials at the jetty, without the EC officials going into the islands themselves. He also confirmed that discussions had been initiated with HPA to ensure voting rights for those positive for Covid-19, and those in quarantine due to exposure to the virus.

EC President Shareef declared that the procedure in such cases would be finalized and made public once the discussions concluded.

With the elections looming close in April, the Elections Commission had issued an additional deadline for re-registration, for those parties who had been registered to vote in such a away that compromised the secrecy of their vote. The extended re-registration period for these persons closed on Wednesday.