Former National Tender Board chairman Ismail Zariyand has announced his candidacy for Malé mayor on the ticket of the People’s National Front (PNF), while retired Major General Moosa Ali Jaleel is widely reported to be preparing a bid on behalf of the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC).
Zariyand announced his decision on Wednesday night at a PNF rally titled Reset, held at Artificial Beach in Malé. Addressing supporters, he said his move into electoral politics came after encouragement from former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
He said no former Maldivian leader had previously asked him to contest an election despite more than 30 years of service across state institutions. Zariyand said long-standing allegations of corruption within the Malé City Council required accountability.
Zariyand has served in government for more than three decades. He spent over 20 years as a senior auditor at the Auditor General’s Office and has also held senior positions at the Ministry of Finance. He is also known as a former national football goalkeeper who represented the Maldives at international level.
Moosa Ali Jaleel, a former commander of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and ex defence minister, is widely reported by media outlets to be the prospective candidate of the ruling PNC for the Malé mayor post. Neither Moosa Ali Jaleel nor the party has officially confirmed his candidacy.
Jaleel retired from active service after a long career in the MNDF, during which he held several senior command and administrative roles. He later entered the cabinet as defence minister, where he oversaw national security and defence policy.
He is among the most decorated officers in the history of the MNDF and is widely regarded as a national hero for his role in defending the Maldives during the 1988 armed attack by foreign mercenaries.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which holds significant support in the capital, has yet to finalise its candidate. Incumbent Malé Mayor Adam Azim and former Henveiru Central constituency lawmaker Ali Azim are contesting the party’s primary, with the winner expected to emerge as a central contender in the race.
The Malé mayoral race is expected to be one of the most closely watched contests in the upcoming local council elections, given the political influence and voter base of the capital.