Mohamed Sinan, the former Member of Parliament for the Hithadhoo North constituency, has announced his decision to withdraw from the upcoming by-election. Despite winning the People’s National Congress (PNC) primary, Sinan stated he will no longer be contesting the seat he recently vacated.

In the primary election, Sinan had secured the ticket after defeating Ahmed Saeed, the current councilor for the Hithadhoo Moolekede district. However, Sinan confirmed via social media that he has decided to relinquish the party ticket and instead endorse Saeed for the position.

Explaining his decision, Sinan noted that supporting Ahmed Saeed is the most strategic move to defeat the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) candidate, former Addu City Mayor Abdulla Sodiq. Sinan emphasized that consolidating support behind a single candidate is necessary to secure a victory against the opposition in the constituency.

The Hithadhoo North seat became vacant following a Supreme Court ruling on April 12, which disqualified Sinan due to issues regarding outstanding proven debt. The Elections Commission has scheduled the by-election for June 6, with the deadline for candidate nominations recently extended.