The Elections Commission (EC) has announced that they are seeking 5600 candidates to officiate the upcoming Presidential Elections scheduled for September 9, 2023. However, as of today, only 1000 applications have been received, leaving a need for an additional 4600 candidates. Interested and eligible individuals have until the June 22 deadline to submit their applications, according to the commission’s announcement.
According to the announcement, eligible applicants must be Maldivian citizens over 18 years of age and currently not hold any senior positions in a political party. Additionally, those who are actively involved in any candidate’s campaign or have family ties to any candidate are not eligible to become officials.
The commission has also announced the allowances for officials working on polling day. The head of each polling station will receive an allowance of MVR 1,500.00, while the assistant head will receive MVR 1,200.00. Polling station officials and reserve officials will receive MVR 1,000 and MVR 500.00, respectively. In addition to their salaries, officials will be provided with meals on polling day, while the chief officer in charge of each polling station will be given a phone allowance of MVR 100.00. Furthermore, officials will be paid an extra MVR 300.00 upon completion of election-related training.
In its announcement, the commission reiterated its commitment to ensuring a free, fair, and transparent election process, with the help of dedicated and responsible officials who will carry out their duties with integrity and impartiality. The upcoming presidential election, which marks an important milestone in the Maldives’ political history, will have approximately 280,000 eligible voters.