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2024 Maldivian parliamentary election

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All 93 seats in the People's Majlis 47 seats needed for a majority

Party Leader Vote % Seats +/– PNC Mohamed Muizzu 47.48 66 +63 MDP Abdulla Shahid 30.74 12 −53 MDA Ahmed Siyam Mohamed 1.91 2 0 JP Qasim Ibrahim 1.47 1 −4 MNP Mohamed Nazim 0.50 1 New Independents – 14.52 11 +4 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. Speaker before Speaker after Mohamed Aslam MDP Abdul Raheem Abdulla PNC

Parliamentary elections were held in the Maldives on 21 April 2024, having previously been scheduled for 17 March. The election date was changed to April after President Mohamed Muizzu ratified election postponement bill by the People's Majlis passed on 28 February. Due to Grade 7, 8 and 9 exams scheduled for 16–27 April clashing with the parliamentary election date, the Ministry of Education decided to bring forward the tests to 27 March–25 April.

The result was a landslide victory for Muizzu's People's National Congress (PNC) and a heavy defeat for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which won a similar landslide in the 2019 elections. The results were seen as an endorsement of Muizzu's plan to press ahead with closer economic cooperation with China and a rebuke of the pro-India MDP, which had sought to disrupt efforts to realign Maldivian diplomacy.

Background

The election was held amid a dispute between President Mohamed Muizzu and the outgoing People's Majlis, which blocked several of his initiatives as well as the appointment of three of his nominated cabinet members.

Electoral system

The 93 seats in the People's Majlis are elected in single-member constituencies using the first-past-the-post system. Prior to the elections, the number of seats was increased from 87 to 93, with six new seats created. In the election, 93 constituencies are being contested by a total of 368 candidates, while around 284,000 people are eligible to vote.

Constituencies

Seats in the People's Majlis are split in conformity of Article 10 of the Electoral Constituencies Act which emphasizes stabilization of equal balance amid representation of parliamentary seats. The Act stipulates that two representatives must be appointed for a populace of 5000 or fewer in an administrative division with an additional seat allocated to account for a population surge of another 5000 constituents.

Consequent to the observation of population increases across several regions within the last five years, the number of constituencies was increased to 93 with six new constituencies added to the earlier 87 seats in the 19th parliamentary term.

Campaign

The Parliamentary Elections Regulations include a comprehensive code of conduct aimed at regulating the behavior of candidates and their supporters during the campaign period. However, concerns were raised over restrictions imposed by the code on freedom of expression and campaigning.

Despite these concerns, the campaign leading up to the parliamentary elections was relatively peaceful. The Maldives Police Service indicated that they did not anticipate any major disruptions, disturbances, or protests either during the campaign period or on Election Day. However, there were potential risks of some disturbances, particularly due to the alleged links of several candidates to gangs.

One key concern was the possibility of disagreements or clashes between supporters of rival candidates, especially in light of incidents during the People's National Congress (PNC) and Maldivian Democratic Party primaries. The Maldives Police Service said they were prepared to handle any such scenarios that may arise.

People's National Congress

For this election, the PNC entered into a coalition agreement with the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), but solely fielded candidates from the PNC, contesting to secure all but three seats this term. The constituencies they had relinquished offered leeway for political leaders of Jumhooree Party (Qasim Ibrahim vying for the Maamigili seat), Maldives Development Alliance (MDA)'s Ahmed Siyam running for the Meedhoo Constituency and Maldives National Party (MNP)'s Mohamed Nazim contesting for the North Maafannu seat, with Special Advisor to the President, Abdul Raheem Abdulla affirming that these seats were forfeited in a bid to display respect to these leaders.

Candidates

The People's National Congress had 90 candidates, followed by the Maldivian Democratic Party with 89 candidates. There were 130 independent candidates among 93 constituencies and four candidates from the Adhaalath Party and the Jumhooree Party. Two candidates contested from the Maldives National Party.

Results

Allegations of vote buying and undue influence were made on election day. Initial results suggested that the president's party, the People's National Congress was on course to win at least 70 seats. Maldivian media described the results as giving a supermajority for the PNC, with its numbers allowing it to achieve the two-thirds in the People's Majlis that is required to amend the constitution. The PNC's successes came at the cost of the MDP, which itself held a supermajority in the outgoing Majlis and lost its strongholds of Malé, Addu City and Kulhudhuffushi to the PNC.

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	People's National Congress	101,128	47.48	66	+63
	Maldivian Democratic Party	65,476	30.74	12	–53
	The Democrats	4,634	2.18	0	New
	Maldives Development Alliance	4,071	1.91	2	0
	Jumhooree Party	3,141	1.47	1	–4
	Adhaalath Party	2,538	1.19	0	0
	Maldives National Party	1,060	0.50	1	New
	Independents	30,931	14.52	11	+4
Total		212,979	100.00	93	+6
Valid votes		212,979	98.10
Invalid/blank votes		4,120	1.90
Total votes		217,099	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		284,663	76.27
Source: ECM, ORF

Aftermath

MDP chair Fayyaz Ismail congratulated the PNC for winning the election but vowed that it would continue to "hold it accountable as responsible opposition". Several independent candidates who won in the election later joined the PNC, pushing its total number of seats to 73.

Reactions

The United States Department of State said it was "glad to hear observers reported no major issues or irregularities, and that the results are indicative of the will of the people".

References

1. ^ Sharuhan, Mohamed (21 April 2024). "Voting begins for Maldives Parliament, watched by India and China vying for control of Indian Ocean". Associated Press. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
2. Udhma, Fathimath (10 January 2024). "2024 Parliamentary Election slated for 17 March, 7 Ramadan". Raajje TV. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
3. Mohamed, Mariyath (29 February 2024). "BREAKING: President ratifies election postponement bill". The Edition. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
4. "Parliament passes election postponement bill for second time". Sun. 28 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
5. Mohamed, Mariyath (15 March 2024). "Exams preponed to avoid coinciding with Parliamentary elections". The Edition. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
6. "Landslide win for pro-China leader's party in Maldives election". South China Morning Post. Agence France-Presse. 21 April 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
7. Junayd, Mohamed (22 April 2024). "Maldives pro-China ruling party tipped to win election". Reuters. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
8. "Landslide win for pro-China president's party in Maldives parliamentary elections". France 24. Agence France-Presse. 21 April 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
9. "Maldives (People's Majilis) - Electoral System". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
10. Mohamed, Mariyath (10 January 2024). "Parliamentary elections to be held on March 17". The Edition. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
11. "ރައްޔިތުންގެ މަޖިލީހުގެ އިންތިޚާބީ ދާއިރާތައް ކަނޑައެޅުމާބެހޭ ޤާނޫނު" [People's Majlis Constituencies elections act]. MvLaw (in Divehi). Attorney General's Office. Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
12. "Six New Constituencies Added to Parliament, Totaling 93 Seats". MV+. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
13. Shaahunaz, Fathmath (6 November 2018). "EC announces official electoral constituencies for parliamentary election". The Edition. Mihaaru. Archived from the original on 25 January 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
14. ^ "2024 Parliamentary Election: Pre-Election Assessment" (PDF). Transparency Maldives. 14 April 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
15. Shuba, Aishath Solih (18 April 2024). "Maldives Parliamentary Election 2024: A breakdown of the electoral scene". The Edition. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
16. "Maldives shaken by allegations of vote buying amid PNC's dominant election victory". Daily Mirror. 25 April 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
17. Naish, Ahmed (23 April 2024). "Muizzu's People's National Congress Storms to Power in Maldives". The Diplomat. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
18. Yaameen, Mohamed (21 April 2024). "ޕީއެންސީން ރައްޔިތުންގެ މަޖިލިހުގެ ސުޕާ މެޖޯރިޓީ ހޯދައިފި" [PNC wins super-majority on the People's Majlis]. Vaguthu (in Divehi). Retrieved 21 April 2024.
19. Mohamed, Mariyath (21 April 2024). "Parliament Elections 2024: PNC wins supermajority with 70 seats". The Edition. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
20. "Pro-China party on course for landslide victory in Maldives election". Al Jazeera. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
21. Ethirajan, Anbarasan (22 April 2024). "Maldives: Pro-China party led by Muizzu wins by landslide". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
22. Solih, Aishath Shuba (24 April 2024). "Independent members join PNC: PNC alone has acquired super majority". The Edition. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
23. Hussain, Hanaan (25 April 2024). "Nolhivaram MP-elect Mohamed Rasheed joins PNC". The Edition. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
24. "Pro-China party wins Maldives election in landslide". ABC News Australia. Reuters. 23 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.

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