MDP candidate Ibrahim Shaz has won the Kaafu Atoll Guraidhoo by-election held today, marking the first time in 14 years that the Maldivian Democratic Party has won the seat.
The seat had been held by the Progressive Party of the Maldives for the past three terms, with Ibrahim Riza as the representative. After Riza passed away last February, his brother Hussain Riza contested the by-election on the PPM ticket, while Ali Areef contested for the Maldives National Party.
Provisional results show that Shaz received 1,085 votes, while Hussain Riza received 984 votes and Areef received 120 votes. The results from the ballot box in Kaafu Atoll Gulhi are yet to be received, but they are unlikely to change the outcome of the election, as Shaz is leading the votes so far. MDP is currently celebrating Shaz's victory and congratulating him.
The polling stations were set up in three islands under the Guraidhoo constituency, Guraidhoo, Maafushi, and Gulhi, as well as Izzuddin School in Malé City. Five ballot boxes were set up in the by-election, and MDP won all but Guraidhoo's ballot box 1, which was won by the PPM candidate.
Malé City ballot box: 150 votes for PPM, 162 votes for MDP and 20 votes for MNP
Guraidhoo ballot box 1: 219 votes for PPM , 179 votes for MDP and 29 votes for MNP
Guraidhoo ballot box 2: 210 votes for PPM, 240 votes for MDP and 20 votes for MNP
Maafushi ballot box 1: 226 votes for PPM, 308 votes for MDP and 27 votes for MNP
Maafushi ballot box 2: 179 votes for PPM, 196 votes for MDP and 2 votes for MNP
The results of the ballot box in Gulhi is not yet available
The results of this by-election will bring the total number of MDP members in the parliament to 68.
According to the Elections Commission, 3,423 people were eligible to vote in the constituency, and 2,755 people cast their ballots, which is about 80 percent of eligible voters. The results of this by-election will bring the total number of MDP members in the parliament to 68.
The decision to extend the polling time from 4 pm to 5 pm was made without consulting the parties, prompting criticism from PPM and MNP, who claimed that the extension was given to influence the vote. The campaign for the by-election was carried out following complaints from both PPM and MNP, who claimed that the government's sudden launch of various projects in the constituency was an attempt to directly influence votes. Some cases have also been reported to the Anti-Corruption Commission.
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