Incumbent Mayor Adam Azim has secured the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) ticket for the upcoming April local council elections, winning a decisive victory in the party’s primary.

Preliminary results indicate that Mayor Azim won the majority of ballot boxes counted, securing more than 60 per cent of the total valid votes. He was primarily contested by former Member of Parliament Ali Azim of the Central Henveiru Constituency.

A total of 154 candidates contested the MDP primary nationwide. In Male’ City, more than 5,000 eligible party members voted across 17 polling stations established for the city constituencies. Mayor Azim emerged victorious in a clear majority of these polling stations.

Mayor Azim currently serves as the MDP’s Malé Constituency President. He was first elected mayor with 44.8 per cent of the vote in a closely contested race during the January 13, 2024, election, in which he narrowly trailed the ruling PNC candidate, Azima Shakur. Malé City has a total of 54,680 eligible voters.

Former MP Ali Azim, who challenged the incumbent in the primary, had previously left the MDP around the last presidential election to form The Democrats. He later rejoined the MDP, along with other senior party members.

Throughout the primary campaign, both candidates presented contrasting visions for the city's future and engaged in robust political debate. Mayor Azim highlighted achievements from his six-year tenure, including the cleaning of canals, installation of water pumps to mitigate road flooding, and initiatives to redevelop vacant spaces into public squares to enhance urban livability.

Prior to entering elective office, Adam Azim held senior leadership roles in major state-owned enterprises during the last MDP government, serving as Managing Director of STO and later as Managing Director of MTCC.

With this primary victory, Mayor Azim is set to contest the April Local Council elections as the official MDP candidate, positioning him for a renewed mandate to continue his development agenda for Male’ City, Capital of the Republic of Maldives.