Ahmed Saeed (Soda) from the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) and Abdulla Sodiq (Soabe) from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) are the sole contenders for the vacant North Hithadhoo parliamentary seat, confirms the Elections Commission (EC).

The North Hithadhoo seat was previously filled by Mohamed Sinan (Sina), a politician from the PNC.

But he lost the seat on April 12, after losing a Supreme Court case filed over a declared debt.

The deadline for candidacy for the North Hithadhoo by-election expired at 03:00 pm Saturday.

The EC later announced that only two candidates had applied by the deadline; Saeed, the incumbent Addu City councilman for the Hithadhoo Moolakedi district, and Sodiq, a former Addu City mayor.

 Sodiq secured the MDP ticket after running uncontested in the party’s primary, while Saeed had lost the PNC primary to Sinan, but got the ticket after the former lawmaker decided to bow out of the election.

The by-election is scheduled for June 6.