22 March 2014, Male'; Polling has now ended in the Parliamentary Elections held in the Maldives. However, all eligible voters who lined up to vote before1600 hrs were able to cast their votes.
According to latest estimates a high percentage of 240,652 eligible voters have voted in this election. Polling proceeded smoothly and peacefully across the Maldives and overseas.
The counting of votes have commenced at 1630hrs at polling stations where voting ended on time. Preliminary results of the elections are expected to be released on 23 March 2014.
This is the 18th Parliamentary elections in the Maldives. In this elections, voters will elect members to the national parliament, which is the Peoples Majlis. The Majlis has a total of 85 members. All major political parties in the Maldives, including the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the Jumuhooree Party (JP), and Adhaalath Party have fielded candidates in the elections. A total of 302 candidates, including 114 independents, are contesting for the 85 seats in the Majlis.