Parliamentary elections to be held March 22

The Elections Commission (EC) has announced that parliamentary elections will be on March 22, 2014.

The EC also decided not to declare by-elections for three vacant seats due to the proximity of the elections, according to local media.

The current parliament was convened on May 28, 2009 with a majority to the opposition Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP), which had just lost to the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in the 2008 presidential elections.