Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has revealed it will be directly observing the upcoming Local Council Elections (LCE) and Women’s Development Committee Elections (WDCE).
Speaking to PSM News, HRCM Member Moomina Waheed said the upcoming elections will be observed directly under the name of HRCM, marking the first time the commission directly observes an election. She said similar to previous elections, HRCM will be preparing a report on the election based on the observations.
Furthermore, Moomina revealed HRCM has been providing counsel to the Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) regarding the voting arrangements for individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are under isolation. She added HRCM is working with ECM to ensure the voting arrangements for such individuals are carried out without compromising the fundamental rights of any individual.
A total of 3,934 candidates will contest in the elections to be held on April 10, including 2,264 candidates in the LCE and 1,670 candidates in the WDCE. A total of 273,128 people are eligible to vote at the elections.