MDP to hold parliamentary primary in January

Main opposition MDP will hold a primary to select its candidates for next year's parliamentary elections after the by-election for Male mayor, the party said Wednesday.

The ruling PPM-PNC is set to hold its parliamentary primary on December 23.

"All the focus is on the mayoral by-election. The parliamentary primary will be held in January," MDP deputy chairman Ibrahim Waheed told Atoll Times on Wednesday.

Waheed said the exact date of the primary has not yet been decided. The date will be decided by the national assembly, he said.

The by-election for the mayor is scheduled for January 13. If the primary is held on a Saturday, the expected dates are:

Earlier, the MDP held internal elections on Saturdays.

The independent institutions committee of parliament has recommended that the parliamentary elections be held after Ramadan, which begins in early March. However, the Elections Commission is yet to set a date for the election.