The main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)'s candidate Ibrahim Shaaz has won the Guraidhoo constituency by-election.
The Parliament's Guraidhoo seat became vacant following the death of MP Ibrahim Riza earlier in February. A by-election was held Saturday to elect a member to the seat, contested by MDP and opposing parties, PPM and MNP. Five ballot boxes were placed in constituency islands Guraidhoo (2), Maafushi (2), and Gulhi (1), and one ballot box was placed in Male' for constituents who resided in the capital.
In Saturday's by-election, Shaaz received 1,085 votes, while PPM candidate former MP Ibrahim Riza's brother Hussain Riza received 834 votes. MNP's Ali Arif received 120 votes.
MDP already holds a supermajority in the Parliament. With Shaaz's victory, the number of MDP MPs will increase to 68.
Since the current Green Constitution came into effect, the Guraidhoo constituency has always favored PPM. Therefore, the government considers the MDP's victory in the by-election as a major victory.
