The Elections Commission published the final voter list for the April 4 local council elections and public referendum on concurrent presidential and parliamentary elections. A total of 299,876 people are eligible to vote, including 150,370 men and 144,506 women. Some 1,352 candidates are contesting for council seats and Women's Development Committee positions in 225 constituencies. A total of 588 ballot boxes will be placed across the country.
Eight people were charged over the armed robbery of US$ 130,000 from a Bank of Maldives exchange counter at Velana International Airport last October. Masked assailants threatened two BML staff with a knife and fled with the suitcase of cash to a waiting speedboat, escaping to Kaafu Huraa. Ahmed Mahid faces charges of robbery, intimidation with a weapon, and possession of a sharp object in public. The others face robbery or accessory charges. The stolen money has not been recovered four months after the heist. The Prosecutor General is seeking compensation for BML.
President Muizzu said he does not endorse any opposition candidates in the April 4 local council elections and that his support is exclusively for PNC candidates. Speaking during a door-to-door campaign in Hulhumalé, Muizzu denied claims that he backed the MDP candidate for the Hulhumalé South constituency, calling it "a clear lie." Muizzu has been campaigning daily in Malé for PNC council candidates. Ahmed Ghalib, the MDP candidate who is a relative of Muizzu, denied telling anyone he had the president's backing and accusing Muizzu of lying during Ramadan. "This is not a level a president of a country should stoop to," he said.
The housing ministry opened a separate application process for people with disabilities to apply for the social housing scheme from March 24 through the end of April. The eligibility criteria were amended to reduce the Malé residency requirement from 15 years to five years. Those who moved to Malé to access medical services are also eligible. The larger scheme will allocate 7,900 flats and 15,000 plots of 1,250 square feet.
Speaking at an MDP press briefing, former STO managing director Hussain Amr called on the government to publicly disclose its contingency plan for the Middle East conflict. Forming a ministerial committee alone was not enough, he said, adding that the government had a duty to transparently explain how it would protect citizens from the economic fallout, including the impact of rising fuel costs on dollar reserves already under pressure from a weakened Rufiyaa and falling tourist arrivals. He credited the previous government's early response during the Covid-19 pandemic for shielding the Maldives from the worst effects of that crisis.
Sultan Park, closed since August for redevelopment, will reopen on Eid al-Fitr for a three-day national celebration organised by the military. Events will be held across Malé, Hulhumalé, and Villimalé, featuring games, entertainment, and military displays. Ten state-owned enterprises are participating. President Muizzu has said the park will be redeveloped with tree-to-tree walkways and activities for all ages.
The foreign ministry condemned an attack on the UAE consulate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, calling it a serious violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The government expressed solidarity with the UAE.
Former parliament speaker Mohamed Shihab, who served 25 years in the Majlis, backed holding presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day, arguing it would save both state and party campaign costs and lead to more merit-based voting for MP candidates. Speaking on state media, Shihab said voters currently tend to hand the incoming president's party a parliamentary majority, but simultaneous elections – where the presidential outcome is unknown – could encourage more independent choices. The opposition MDP is campaigning against the proposed constitutional amendments.
Former Supreme Court Justice Husnu Suood questioned the government's motives in prioritising the concurrent elections referendum, saying more pressing constitutional reforms –such as capping the growing number of parliament seats, depoliticising the Judicial Service Commission, and shielding the Elections Commission and Anti-Corruption Commission from political interference – have been ignored. Suood, who resigned from the bench last year after accusing President Muizzu and the attorney general of interfering in a pending case, said the government's good faith cannot be assumed without an agenda for broader reform.
Bank of Maldives launched its multi-currency digital wallet "Swipe" in Addu City, the first domestic rollout after its official launch at ITB Berlin. The QR code-based payment app, designated the official wallet of Visit Maldives, charges a one percent transaction fee compared to the 2.5 percent or more charged by other cards and wallets. BML said nearly all businesses in Addu now accept Swipe. In addition to both local and international transactions through BML accounts or cards, core features include "person-to-person transfers, fast QR payments, personalized spending insights, shareable payment links, and simplified top-ups and withdrawals."
