The President of the Election Commission of the Maldives (ECM), Mohamed Zahid, has urged a high voter turnout for the two elections and referendum scheduled for 4 April.
Three votes will take place on Saturday, including the local council elections, Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections, and a referendum on constitutional amendments to combine the presidential and parliamentary elections. A total of 294,876 individuals are eligible to vote.
Speaking at a press conference, Zahid said the elections will decide key national matters, including changes to state systems and arrangements, and the election of representatives to important public positions. He stressed that the public must make their voices heard with their votes.
Security measures for the elections include a special police operation titled Operation Blue Ray, launched on Friday evening. According to the Assistant Commissioner of Police Abdulla Shareef, the operation is aimed at ensuring the safety of polling stations, resources, and voters.
A total of 1,368 candidates are contesting the local council election for 678 seats across 225 constituencies, while 1,593 candidates are vying for the same number of seats in the WDC election. A total of 588 polling stations have been set up nationwide for the elections.
The elections will be observed by 1,626 local observers and 38 international observers. In addition, 4,021 individuals will act as candidate representatives, while 3,275 election officials will oversee the process. The ECM is confident that the voting process will be conducted fairly, safely, and without undue influence.
In order to address any issues that may arise during voting, 119 coordination centres have been set up nationwide to respond promptly.