EC fixes June 13 for Meedhoo Council President rerun after High Court overturns invalid vote

The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday announced that the tied election for the Dh. Meedhoo Council President will be held again on the 13th of next month, following the High Court ruling on the matter.

The EC decided to conduct a fresh vote after the High Court ruled that one previously invalidated ballot was in fact valid, resulting in both candidates receiving more votes than the number required to elect a president, a situation that legally triggers a re‑poll.

According to the EC, the second round of voting for the Dh. Meedhoo Council President will take place on the 13th of next month from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Vote counting will begin after a thirty‑minute break once polling closes. The official results are scheduled to be announced on Tuesday.

Dh. Meedhoo was among the most contentious constituencies in the local council elections held on the 4th of last month. Provisional results released by the EC initially showed the ruling PNC candidate, Suha Ibrahim, receiving 393 votes.

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The Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) candidate, Shahid, received 392 votes. However, the MDA filed a complaint after identifying that an ineligible person had voted at the Ponadu polling station. The PNC also filed a petition requesting a recount.

After the EC recounted the ballots, the official results showed Suha with 391 votes, Shahid with 392 votes, and independent candidate Ibrahim Naseem with 100 votes, making Shahid the winner.

However, PNC candidate Suha appealed to the High Court, which ruled that the previously invalidated vote was valid.

Following the ruling, the EC decided to hold the election again. The Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) has since expressed concern over what it described as unfair and inconsistent decisions surrounding the case.