With the elections rescheduled to take place 10 days after the end of Ramadan, an additional 560 people are eligible to vote in the parliamentary election.
The Elections Commission (EC) maintains its decision to schedule the parliamentary elections to be held on Sunday, April 21. This is due to the concern that any further delay might breach the law, which stipulates that elections should be held one month before the end of the current parliament.
EC had initially scheduled the parliamentary elections for March 17, following which the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) amended the Elections Act to disallow elections from taking place during Ramadan.
Following the bill's ratification by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, the EC rescheduled the elections to be held on April 21.
The date, which falls on a Sunday, has drawn criticism from opposition MDP, calling on the EC to provide an explanation for deviating from the usual practice of holding elections on Saturdays.
In response, President of the Elections Commission, Fuad Thaufeeq, said that the decision to hold the parliamentary elections on April 21 was made as it is the first available date following 10 days after the end of Ramadan.
The amendment to the Elections Act stipulates that elections shall not be conducted on a day of Ramadan, irrespective of any other provision in this or any other law. If the elections are scheduled on a date during the month of Ramadan, they must be held 10 days after the conclusion of Ramadan.
Fuad said that if the parliamentary elections are postponed beyond the current date, there is a risk that the new parliament may not be elected one month before the conclusion of the current parliament.
The Elections Commission (EC) is obligated to conduct elections to form the new parliament one month before the conclusion of the current parliament.
Former President and Advisor of MDP, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, has also voiced concern about holding the election on a Sunday.
Solih said that holding elections on government holidays has been a practice aimed at ensuring that the maximum number of people are given the opportunity to exercise a fundamental right guaranteed to them by the constitution.
He alleged the current government is attempting to influence the election by scheduling it on a Sunday and urged the EC not to be swayed by such influences.
The Elections Commission said that with the elections scheduled to take place 10 days after the end of Ramadan, an additional 560 people are eligible to vote in the parliamentary election.
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