Maldives announces two-day holiday following elections

The President’s Office has declared Sunday and Monday as public holidays following the nationwide elections, citing the extensive involvement of government employees in election-related duties.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the President’s Office said the decision was made after a request from the Elections Commission, noting that a significant number of public sector staff had been engaged in administering the polls.

The Commission is expected to continue overseeing key post-election processes through Monday.

Maldivians cast their ballots on Saturday in the Local Council Elections, Women’s Development Committee (WDC) Elections, and a national referendum on whether to hold Presidential and Parliamentary elections concurrently.

A total of 294,876 eligible voters were registered for the polls, including 144,506 women and 150,370 men.

Preliminary figures indicate that 185,709 voters participated, representing a turnout of 62.98% as of 16:00 PM.