Following the Elections Commission (EC)’s announcement that the delayed Local Council Elections will be held coming April, ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) declared that they will be prepared this time.
The Civil Court had ordered to postpone the Local Council Elections, originally scheduled to be held January 14, by two months after PPM had filed for a delay, saying that recent political disputes within the party had hindered PPM’s preparations for the elections on time. The public political fall-out between its leader, Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and his half-brother and incumbent President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom had split the party into two factions, hindering the party’s effective functioning.
The EC on Wednesday informed all political parties that the postponed local elections will be held in April and that the date will be announced next week.
PPM’s Secretary General elected by President Yameen’s faction and Nilandhoo MP Abdulla Khaleel told Mihaaru that the period of time granted before the new elections date will be adequate for the ruling party to complete preparations.
He disclosed that the party’s register which had been lost during the political upheaval of PPM splitting into two factions has still not been recovered. However, he noted that PPM is attempting to compile the registry again by obtaining the members’ information from various sources such as PPM’s branches in the atolls and the EC.
The EC’s abrupt announcement of the new local elections date on Wednesday was heralded by opposition parties’ increasing complaints over the lengthening delay. The EC had responded to the complaints earlier that they would settle on a new date after clearing legal clarifications in the Civil Court order.
Meanwhile, the High Court on Tuesday had thrown out the commission’s case to clear the legal issues in the Civil Court’s verdict.
Sign In