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Maldives announces parliamentary elections on April 6

Maldives would hold the parliamentary elections on April 6 next year, elections commission announced Sunday.

Speaking during a press conference, elections chief Ahmed Shareef Adam said the commission would open to file for candidacies in late January.

Shareef said the commission was now finalizing some of the constituencies and would publicize the voters list and open for re-registration accordingly.

This year, Maldives would be voting to elect members to 87 seats - two more than the present parliament.

Several top political figures including former president Mohamed Nasheed have already announced bids for a parliament seat.

The ruling coalition meanwhile remain split over the elections.

Main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had announced its decision to contest for all seats in the upcoming parliamentary elections that has threatened the split of the coalition government less than a month after taking office.

However, the decision appeared to be in direct violation of the agreement signed by the four parties of the coalition before its victory in September's presidential elections.

Before the coalition led by its candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had pulled off a stunning upset in September's presidential elections, the four main parties in the coalition had agreed to contest the parliamentary elections through the coalition.

It was widely believed that the coalition would divide up the seats in accordance with the same percentage that political posts were assigned to each party.

Former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom meanwhile, had recently said he remained undecided over a bid to return to parliament.