Second Round of Elections to Cost MVR 44 Million, States ECM

The Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has unveiled that the second round of the presidential election will require a budget of MVR 44 million.

Vice-President of ECM, Ismail Habeeb, announced that the commission would present this financial requirement to the Finance Ministry today. 

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The MVR 44 million budget is marked for essential expenditures, including ballot paper printing, salaries for officials, and necessary travel expenses.

“This undertaking can only be executed with adequate financial support. We require a budget to cover officials’ salaries, transportation, and the printing of ballot papers. I have confidence that the Finance Ministry will approve the budget,” expressed Vice-President Ismail Habeeb.

ECM initially proposed a budget of MVR 120 million for the presidential election, factoring in the possibility of a second round. The allocation for the first round stood at MVR 95 million, with an additional MVR 25 million reserved for the second round. However, the Parliament ultimately approved a budget of MVR 90 million for this year’s electoral proceedings.

ECM emphasised that transportation typically constitutes the most significant portion of election expenses. Major outlays associated with elections encompass officials’ remuneration, ballot paper printing, and administrative costs.

In the event that no candidate secures more than 50 percent of the vote in the initial round, a second round of the presidential election is conducted. 

During this year’s presidential election, the PNC presidential candidate, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, and the MDP presidential candidate, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, emerged as the leading candidates in the first round.

It’s worth noting that in the history of the Maldives, only one presidential election has been decided in a single round, and that was the 2018 election.