The MDP Primaries for the upcoming Local Council Election are under way across the Maldives.

The voting began at 2:30 p.m. today and is set to continue until 7:30 p.m. where 909 candidates are running for the party ticket with 169 ballot boxes.

Voting are underway at six locations in the capital, Male’ City, including boxes in Vilimale’ and Hulhumale’. President of MDP and Speaker of the Parliament, the former President of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, has voted at the ballot box at Dharubaaruge.

The Male’ ballot box is placed at Dharubaaruge while the boxes for Gaafu Dhaalu and Gaafu Alifu Atolls along with Shaviyani Atoll and Noonu Atoll are placed at Kalaafaanu School. Meanwhile, the ballot boxes for Addu City, Vaavu Atoll, Meemu Atoll, Faafu Atoll and Dhaalu Atoll are placed at Majeedhiya School. Imadhudhin School has the ballot boxes for Haa Alifu Atoll, Haa Dhaalu Atoll, Kaafu Atoll, Alifu Alifu Atoll and the Alifu Dhaalu Atoll.

The ballot boxes place at Iskandhar School is for Raa Atoll, Baa Atoll and Lhaviyani Atoll while Muhiyudhin School houses the Vilimale’ box and the MDP Campaign Hall in Male’ City is housing the ballot boxes for Thaa Atoll and Laamu Atoll.

MDP has previously said that 390 candidates were awarded the MDP ticket for Island and City Councils without a primary for the Local Council Election on 4 April 2020.

Seven MDP candidates are running in the primary for the Male’ City Mayor position. They are Ahmed Niyaz, MDP Secretary General, Anas Abdul Sattar, current Male’ City Mayor, Shifa Mohamed, Deputy Mayor Shamaau Shareef, Ibrahim Moosa and Abdul Saeed along with the inaugural Male’ City Mayor, Adam Manik.

While three MDP members are running for Mayor of Addu City Council, the candidates are Ahmed Adhuham, the former MP for Hithadhoo constituency, Ali Nizar and the current Addu City Mayor, Abdulla Sodhiq (Soabe).

MDP also has four members running for the Fuvahmulah City Mayor which includes Mohamed Nizam Hassan, Ismail Rafeeq, Ahmed Mohamed and the current Mayor Abdulla Falaah Shareef.

There were two MDP candidates for the Haa Dhaalu Kulhudhuffushi City Council before Ahmed Athif retracted his candidacy following his appointment as a Deputy Minister of Tourism confirming the party ticket to Mohamed Athif.