Former Attorney General Aishath Azima Shakoor has been confirmed as the mayoral candidate for the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives and People’s National Congress (PPM/PNC) coalition.

The internal PPM/PNC deadline for mayoral nominations expired at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday with no one contesting Shakoor for the ticket and thus being declared the coalition’s mayoral candidate.

Shakoor is the Maldives’ first female Attorney General and most recently served in government as the Minister of Legal Affairs at the President’s Office during the Yameen administration.

The post of Mayor of Malé was left vacant after President Mohamed Muizzu, having secured the presidential election, had resigned from the post.

Others who have won party tickets for the post include Malé City Council Member Saif Fatih for The Democrats; former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) Adam Azim for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP); and former Commissioner of Police Hussain Waheed for the newly established People’s National Front (PNF).

The Elections Commission (EC) deadline for candidate registrations for the mayoral race is 13 December, with the election set to be held in January.