The Election Commission (EC) has postponed announcing the date of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
EC's Vice-President Ismail Habeeb told AVAS last Wednesday that the date of the parliamentary elections will be announced on January 7.
However, in a press conference held Sunday, EC revealed a change in plans, citing a letter received from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). According to Habeeb, the commission will engage in further discussions and has scheduled a meeting with the MDP on Monday at 11:30 a.m. to address their concerns. The challenges faced by political parties and voters will be taken into consideration when deciding on the election date, he said.
“After consulting with the MDP, we will hopefully announce our decision [on the election date] this week,” Habeeb said.
Habeeb acknowledged that a significant number of people abstained from voting in the recent presidential election and highlighted concerns about a potential low voter turnout if the parliamentary election coincides with the Holy month of Ramadan.
