President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Sunday ratified the Seventh Amendment to the Local Council Elections Act.
The amendment was proposed by Isdhoo MP Ismail Shafeeu on behalf of the government. It was passed by the Parliament on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, at the 25th sitting of its second session this year.
The law previously required the Local Government Authority (LGA) to notify the Election Commission (EC) of a vacancy in local councils within 14 days. Previously, a by-election was mandated within 60 days of such a notice.
The newly ratified amendment states that by-elections to fill vacant council seats will now be held twice a year. The interval between these by-elections must be no longer than 183 days and no shorter than 120 days. Additionally, if a council's remaining term is 365 days or less, it will no longer be necessary to elect a new member to fill any vacancy.
