The Election Commission (EC) has announced that Villimale Women's Development Committee (WDC) by-election results have not changed after two ballot papers were recounted.
The election held on Saturday was contested by a Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate Fathmath Nazima, and Maldives National Party (MNP) candidate, Aminath Sheeza. According to the provisional results, Nazima won the election by one vote. Nazim received 359 votes, while Sheeza received 358 votes.
Following the election, MNP sought a recount due to the close margin of defeat. However, the Elections Commission decided to recount two votes from the number one ballot box, regarding which complaints were submitted during the vote-counting process.
The Election Commission said the two ballot papers are what MNP claims to be a valid vote counted as invalid and an invalid vote declared as valid. When the two ballot papers were re-checked, it brought no change to the election's outcome, the commission said.
A member was elected to the Women's Development Committee of the Villimale' constituency following the death of committee member Aiminath Eman, who represented the constituency. She died while undergoing treatment at ADK for injuries sustained in a deadly motorcycle accident.
12 out of 17 members of the Women's Development Committee of the Male' City Council are main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) members. Two independent members, a member from Adhaalath Party and a member from MRM, also sit on the committee. The chairperson of the committee is a member of the Adhaalath Party.
