Sinan faces competition in PNC primary for North Hithadhoo byelection

Two candidates will be contesting the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC)’s primary for the upcoming by-election for the North Hithadhoo parliament seat.

In a statement on Monday, PNC announced that two candidates qualify to contest the primary; Mohamed Sinan, who lost the seat in a court case earlier in April, and Ahmed Saeed.

Both Sinan and Ahmed Saeed are natives of Hithadhoo.

Voting in the PNC primary will take place from 09:00 am to 04:00 pm on Saturday.

The North Hithadhoo seat was previously filled by Sinan, who won it in parliamentary elections on April 21, 2024, after beating Mohamed Aslam – a politician from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) who had held the seat for 20 years.

However, Sinan lost the seat on April 5, after losing a Supreme Court case filed over a declared debt.

The by-election is scheduled for June 6.