The Elections Commission on Sunday announced the opening of applications for the 5,559 positions available for officials in the upcoming presidential election, scheduled to be held on September 9, 2023.

According to the announcement, eligible applicants must be Maldivian citizens over the age of 18 who do not hold senior positions in any 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 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.

Apart from their salaries, officials will also 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

In addition, officials will be paid an extra MVR 300.00 upon completion of election-related training.

Approximately 280,000 people are eligible to vote in the upcoming presidential election, which marks an important milestone in the Maldives’ political history.

Interested and eligible individuals must submit their applications before the June 22 deadline, according to the commission’s announcement.

In its announcement, the commission also 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.