The Election Commission has allocated a budget of MVR 120 million for next year's Presidential Election.
Speaking to AVAS on Thursday, an official from the commission said the budget for the election had been set at MVR 120 million and had been factored into next year's budget. The commission's proposed budget for the upcoming year will be forwarded to the Finance Ministry today.
The official said the budget for the presidential election was fixed with the assumption that there would be a second round of the election. Of the MVR 120 million allocated for the presidential election, MVR 95 million is expected to be spent on the first round. An additional MVR 25 million has been budgeted in case a second round is held, he said.
The biggest expenditure for the presidential election is on transportation. Although an MVR 120 million budget has been allocated for the election, the commission would work to keep the expenditure as low as possible, the official said.
The Election Commission has not yet announced the date of next year's Presidential Election.
Former President and Opposition Leader Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is the only candidate to have secured the presidential ticket so far. The opposition coalition, PPM, and PNC handed over their presidential tickets to President Yameen on August 19. Jumhooree Party (JP) and Maldives National Party (MNP) have announced they would be contesting the election but have not announced their candidates thus far.
The ruling coalition's main party, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), has decided to award its presidential ticket to the winner of the party's presidential primary. The MDP presidential primary is expected to be contested by the incumbent President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih and the Parliament Speaker and former President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed.
