Elections Commission of the Maldives has announced that the upcoming Local Council Elections have been postponed till April 18th in the wake of the Covid-19.

The announcement was made during a press conference by the EC on Thursday.

Speaking during the conference, Chairman of EC Ahmed Shareef noted that all preparations for the election has bee already done except for packing and dispatching the necessary materials to the voting centers. However after the declaration of a Public Health Emergency in the Maldives for a period of 30 days, the commission had decided to delay the election.

Shareef further noted that April 18th is the latest date that the commission can legally delay the election. If further delays are required it would have to be done so either through a court order or through a legislation passed by the parliament.

He further noted that if the Public Health Emergency is extended beyond 30 days, a court order will be sought to bring a solution to the issue at hand.