Vote counting commenced in the Malé City Council by-elections after polling came to an end at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Voters will elect a new mayor and fill three additional seats on the Malé City Council in the by-elections. Over 54,680 people are eligible to vote in the elections.
Vote counting began around 6:00 p.m., with provisional results expected to be announced from 8:00 p.m. onwards.
The mayor’s position became vacant after Dr Mohamed Muizzu resigned in November 2023 to assume office as the country’s president. Additionally, vacancies in the three council seats arose after respective councillors resigned to take roles in the new administration. These include former councillors include Abdulla Nasir (South Maafannu), Adam Rameez (Central Henveiru), and Fathimath Shamnaz Ali Saleem (South Henveiru).
In the mayoral race, five candidates are vying for the position. The contenders include Aishath Azima Shakoor of the People’s National Congress (PNC), Adam Azim from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Saif Fathih representing the Democrats, and independent candidates Hussain Waheed and Shuaib Ali.
