Incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom on Thursday officially filed his candidacy seeking a second term in the upcoming presidential elections.
Elections chief Ahmed Shareef accepted president Yameen and his running mate Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed's candidacy form after it was submitted by deputy ruling party leader and tourism minister Moosa Zameer.
The commission by law would now need to decide whether the president and his running mate would be eligible to contest the elections within 48 hours.
Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) council had unanimously announced its decision to hand the ticket to president Yameen without a presidential primary in May. The decision was later validated by the country's electoral watchdog after it found no contradictions or violations of the party's charter.
Elections Commission had said the deadline to file candidacy for the crunch elections on September 23 would remain open until August 4 before extending to August 10.
President Yameen has become the third candidate to file candidacy for the elections alongside opposition alliance candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and a relatively unknown independent candidate.
The commission has since officially accepted Solih's candidacy.
Former home minister Umar Naseer had publicly announced intention to contest the elections but is yet to file his candidacy for the crunch elections.
