The drawing of lots to allocate ballot numbers for candidates contesting the upcoming Local Council and Women’s Development Committee elections will be held on Thursday, the Elections Commission has announced.

A total of 2,994 candidates are contesting the elections, which are scheduled for 4 April. The polls are being conducted under a separate election timeline, with candidates who wish to withdraw their nominations given until the day of the ballot number allocation to do so.

Six political parties are participating in the elections. Of the total candidates, 1,210 are representing political parties, while 401 are contesting as independent candidates. The People’s National Congress (PNC) is fielding the highest number of candidates, with 665 nominees contesting seats out of the 678 positions to be filled.

In total, 678 councillors will be elected nationwide. This includes 626 councillors for island councils and 52 councillors for city councils. An equal number of members will also be elected to Women’s Development Committees.

Some island councils and WDCs have already been decided without an election due to uncontested seats. The full extent of such outcomes will be confirmed following the completion of the ballot number allocation.

While the Elections Commission has yet to officially open the campaign period, political parties and independent candidates have already begun campaign-related activities.

To address election-related grievances, the National Election Complaints Bureau has been established. Four complaints have been lodged so far, all of which have received responses from the commission.

A total of 294,937 people are eligible to vote in the elections, comprising 144,527 women and 150,410 men. The final list of eligible voters will be published after the completion of the re-registration process.

The Elections Commission has stated that preparations are underway to ensure the elections are conducted in a safe and orderly manner.