Voter turnout in Saturday's by-election for mayor of Male' was 32 percent of eligible voters, preliminary results have shown.
A total of 17,442 people cast their ballots as polling took place from 8 am to 5 pm yesterday, which represented a turnout of 31.8 percent. The number of eligible voters was 54,680.
The turnout was even lower than the first time a Male' mayor was elected in the 2021 local council elections. The turnout then was 41 percent or 21,161 people. The number of eligible voters in Male' at the time was 51,702.
Five candidates who contested in mayoral election
- Shuaib Ali (independent candidate)
- Hussain Waheed (independent candidate with support of former President Abdulla Yameen)
- Aishath Azima Shukoor (People's National Congress)
- Adam Azim (Maldivian Democratic Party)
- Mohamed Saif Fathih (The Democrats)
According to the preliminary results, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) candidate Adam Azim won the by-election for Male' city's mayor with a large margin of victory.
Azim won with 44 percent of the vote as Azima Shukoor, a former Attorney General and President's Office minister, finished second with 29.6 percent.
The Male' city mayor's seat became vacant when the first elected mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu assumed the presidency.
In other by-elections held for vacant Male' city council seats, the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) won two seats as the opposition MDP took one seat.
The Congress party won the Henveiru Dhekunu and Maafannu Dhekunu constituencies whilst the MDP won the Medhu Henveiru constituency.
Male' city council by-election results
- Henveiru Dhekunu - Aminath Ahmed Rishfa (PNC)
- Maafannu Dhekunu - Ahmed Rilwan Rasheed (MDP)
- Medhu Henveiru - Hassan Nizam (PNC)
With its victories, the PNC secured a supermajority of the Male' city council, which however would have to work under opposition Mayor Adam Azim.
