Meekail Mohamed Riyaz has been elected as the new Deputy Mayor of Male' City following a primary held by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
The Central Henveiru constituency council member secured the position after competing against four other candidates in the party’s internal selection process. With the MDP holding a majority in the Male’ City Council, the party’s endorsement played a decisive role in determining the outcome.
Competitive Primary Ahead of Council’s New Term
Several council members contested the deputy mayoral position during the MDP primary.
The candidates included:
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West Maafannu constituency councilor Mohamed Rilwan Ali
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Central Maafannu constituency councilor Aishath Hana
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North Hulhumale’ constituency council member Fathimath Zahiyya, commonly known as Zaya
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Meekail Mohamed Riyaz
According to the results of the internal vote, Meekail received the highest number of votes among the candidates.
Results of the MDP Primary
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Meekail Mohamed Riyaz – 7 votes
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Fathimath Zahiyya (Zaya) – 5 votes
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Mohamed Rilwan Ali – 2 votes
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Aishath Hana – 2 votes
The MDP reportedly issued three-line whips in support of Meekail’s candidacy, highlighting the party’s unified backing ahead of the council’s first official meeting of the new term.
Deputy Mayor Confirmed Without Additional Voting
During the inaugural sitting of the newly elected city council, Meekail’s name was the only nomination submitted for the deputy mayor role. Under council procedures, when a single candidate is nominated for the position, no formal voting process is required.
As a result, Meekail was officially confirmed as Deputy Mayor without a contested vote during the council session.
The Male' City Council consists of the mayor and 18 councilors, making it one of the country’s most influential local government bodies.
Newly Elected Councilors Sworn In Across Maldives
The developments in Male’ came as newly elected councilors from the April 4 Local Council Elections formally assumed office across the Maldives.
In addition to councilors taking their oath, members elected to Women’s Development Committees also signed their official declarations on Wednesday.
According to figures released by the Local Government Authority (LGA), 372 councilors had completed their oath-taking ceremonies by midday, while 304 councilors had yet to be sworn in.
The LGA said a total of 676 councilors are expected to take office, alongside 662 Women’s Development Committee members signing declarations nationwide.
Altogether, 681 council members and 681 Women’s Development Committee representatives were elected during the local elections, bringing the total number of elected representatives to 1,362.
However, oath-taking ceremonies for some council members have reportedly been delayed due to unresolved issues linked to the voting process.
