Candidate Numbers Assigned for Hithadhoo North By-Election
Mohamed Muavvazu
The candidate list and official order for the upcoming Hithadhoo North constituency by-election have been finalized today.
With the application deadline closed, only two candidates have stepped forward to contest the seat in the election scheduled for the 6th of next month.
The race features a face-off between two well-known local figures representing the nation's primary political blocs:
Candidate Number 1: Ahmed Saeed – Representing the People's National Congress (PNC). He currently serves as the Councilor for the Hithadhoo Moolekede constituency.
Candidate Number 2: Abdulla Sodiq (Sobe) – Representing the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). He is the former Mayor of Addu City.
The path to the ballot differed for both candidates:
MDP: Abdulla Sodiq secured the ticket uncontested, as he was the sole applicant for the party’s primary.
PNC: The party initially held a primary between Ahmed Saeed and the former MP, Mohamed Sinan. Although Sinan won the primary, he later decided to relinquish the ticket, leading the PNC to award the candidacy to Ahmed Saeed.
The Hithadhoo North seat became vacant following a Supreme Court ruling that disqualified the incumbent PNC member, Mohamed Sinan.
The disqualification stemmed from a legal battle involving unpaid debt. In October 2024, a court ordered Sinan to pay 2.5 million MVR regarding a loan taken from the Maldives Islamic Bank alongside a partner. His failure to settle the debt according to the judgment led to the loss of his parliamentary seat under constitutional requirements.
