The Elections Commission (EC) has accepted the candidacy of 1,857 applicants who submitted nomination forms to contest in the upcoming local council elections and women’s development committee elections.

According to statistics released by the Commission, a total of 2,254 nomination forms were submitted within the first 10 days of the application period. Of these, 1,276 applications were submitted to contest local council seats, while 978 applications were submitted for women’s development committee positions.

The EC said political parties submitted 994 nomination forms for local council elections, of which 852 met the eligibility criteria. A total of 142 applications were declared ineligible, while 84 candidates resubmitted their forms after addressing the identified issues. In addition, 282 applications were submitted by independent candidates for local councils, with 188 meeting eligibility requirements. The Commission declared 94 independent applications ineligible, and 49 candidates have since reapplied.

For women’s development committee elections, political parties submitted 795 nomination forms. The EC noted that 103 applications did not initially meet the eligibility criteria, of which 54 candidates have resubmitted their applications. Meanwhile, 183 individuals applied as independent candidates for women’s committees, with 125 found to be eligible.

The Commission said the most common reasons for applications being rejected included failure to submit required criminal and debt records, as well as incomplete disclosure of criminal or financial liabilities. The EC also noted challenges in obtaining certain criminal records from the Maldives Correctional Service, which are required as part of the nomination process.

Candidates seeking to contest in the upcoming elections are required to submit their applications through the Elections Commission’s main portal.