The Elections Commission of the Maldives (EC) has confirmed that 2,993 candidates will contest the upcoming Local Council and Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections scheduled for 4 April.

A total of 3,547 applications were submitted before the deadline, with 1,610 candidates cleared for council seats and 1,383 approved for WDC positions. EC officials stated that the figures are final unless withdrawals occur or court orders require reconsideration of rejected applications.

The Commission attributed disqualifications to administrative shortcomings, including failures to submit lifetime criminal and debt records, as well as missing clearances from the Maldives Correctional Service.

The April polls will elect 626 island councillors, 52 city councillors, and an equivalent number of WDC representatives. According to EC, 294,937 individuals are eligible to vote, comprising 150,410 men and 144,527 women.

The scale of the exercise underscores the significance of the elections, with nearly 3,000 candidates finalised from the initial pool of applicants.