Indian Election Commissioner, Arun Goel, Oversees Maldives Presidential Elections 2023

Male, September 11, 2023 – Arun Goel, Election Commissioner of India, is currently on an official visit to the Maldives to closely observe the proceedings of the Presidential Election 2023, following an invitation extended by the Election Commission of Maldives. The first round of the election took place on September 9, 2023, featuring eight candidates vying for the presidential position.

The election was conducted in strict accordance with the Constitution of Maldives, 2008, the Election (General) Act, 2008, Presidential Elections Act, 2008, and the Presidential Elections Rules and Regulations, 2008.

In line with the electoral laws of the Maldives, the President is elected directly by the people through universal and secret suffrage for a five-year term. The voting system employed is a direct election utilizing the first-past-the-post method, where the winning candidate must secure a minimum of 50% of the total votes cast either in a single round or across multiple rounds.

The Maldivian Election Commission is composed of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and three other Commissioners. A total of 282,395 eligible electors participated in the Presidential Election, consisting of 144,199 males and 138,196 females. The election involved 574 ballot boxes (polling booths), with a maximum of 850 voters registered at each ballot box. Notably, eight ballot boxes were set up overseas to accommodate Maldivian citizens residing abroad.

Election Commissioner Arun Goel led a three-member delegation, accompanied by Ajay Bhadoo, Deputy Election Commissioner, and Pramod Kumar Sharma, Principal Secretary, during their visit. The delegation visited 22 polling booths situated in Male and Hulhumale, where they closely observed the polling process, voter registration and identification procedures, and the overall setup of polling booths. They also noted various initiatives implemented by the Maldivian Election Commission to ensure a fair and transparent electoral process.

The vote counting for the first round of elections took place on the same day, September 9, 2023. As per the preliminary results, none of the candidates managed to secure over 50% of the votes. According to Maldivian election regulations, a second round of elections is scheduled for September 30, 2023, featuring only the two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the initial election.

Arun Goel’s presence as an observer underscores the commitment of India to upholding democratic processes in the region and fostering strong ties with its neighboring nations. International observers from various countries and organizations also took part in the election observation program to ensure transparency and fairness in the electoral proceedings.