Parliamentary elections scheduled for April 6

The 2019 parliamentary elections will take place on April 6, the Elections Commission announced Sunday.

EC chief Ahmed Shareef told the press that January 28 has been set as a tentative date to start accepting applications from candidates.

The electoral body is finalising voter lists and changes to constituencies, he said.

As in previous elections, there will be a registration process for people who want to vote outside their native island or constituency, he said.

Changes have been made to the re-registration applications form to avoid problems faced ahead of September’s presidential election, Shareef said.

Forms submitted by a third person must include a declaration by the voter, he explained.

The EC would also increase the number of ballot boxes to solve the issue on long queues, Shareef said. There were long queues stretching outside polling stations during the September 23 election and most voters were forced to waiting in line for several hours.