The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has extended the application deadline for those interested in contesting the party's upcoming parliamentary primary.
When MDP opened the opportunity to contest the primary, the deadline was initially set at December 25. However, on Saturday, the party extended the deadline until 4:00 pm on the 30th of this month.
The primary is scheduled to be held on January 26 and 27.
Unlike previous MDP primaries, candidates can apply to contest this primary after clearing their criminal records.
MDP's Deputy Chairperson Ibrahim Waheed said that some individuals have been disqualified from contesting the election in the past after winning the primary due to existing criminal records.
To be eligible for the MDP primary, individuals must be MDP members and meet the qualifications required for parliamentary candidates.
The date for the parliamentary election has not yet been fixed as the parliament and the Elections Commission disagree on the matter. The Election Commission has proposed to hold the election before Ramadan, while the Parliament proposes to hold the election after Ramadan.
Next year's parliamentary elections will elect representatives for 93 constituencies.
