MDP to reserve 33% of island council candidacies for youth

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on Wednesday decided to reserve 33 percent of its candidacies for youth in next year’s island council and women’s development committee elections.

The decision was made following a debate on a proposal submitted to the party’s National Assembly by a committee formed in preparation for the local council elections. The proposal was presented by former Dhaandhoo MP Yousuf Abdulla.

According to the proposal, the 33 percent reservation will apply to candidates aged between 18 and 35. Yousuf explained that primaries for the youth-reserved slots will be conducted separately from the general candidacy selection process.

“When you apply or express interest in contesting the primary, you must indicate whether you are contesting for the youth-reserved slot. The primary will then be held among the youth candidates only,” he said.

The proposal received support from most members of the National Assembly who spoke during the meeting.

Additional measures outlined in the proposal include:

A timeline for implementing these measures was also included in the proposal, though a final decision on it has not yet been made.

The proposal, with some amendments based on feedback during the two-hour discussion, was passed without objection, according to party chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, who presided over the session.