2026 Malé City mayoral election

Malé City is the capital of the Maldives and its municipal government is headed by an elected mayor. The Malé City Council consists of the mayor and deputy mayor plus 16 ward councilors. Under the country’s decentralization laws, mayors serve five-year terms. Azim first won the Malé mayoralty in a January 2024 by-election (after then-mayor Mohamed Muizzu resigned).

In past local elections, Malé’s council was contested alongside other atoll councils. In the January 2024 by-election, Azim from the MDP led a three-candidate race with 42.6% of the vote (7,621 votes), beating the ruling party’s contender. The 2026 election, held alongside a major constitutional referendum, was viewed as a test of national politics, and the opposition MDP ended up winning all five city mayoral contests in Malé, Addu, Fuvahmulah, Kulhudhuffushi, and Thinadhoo. ^[2]

On December 4, 2025, the Elections Commission announced that the Local Council Elections, covering city mayors and island councils, would take place on April 4, 2026.^[3] Held under the Local Council Elections regulations and the Decentralization Act, these elections allow for the direct election of city mayors and councilors to five-year terms. Malé City, with 58,169 eligible voters, was the only city in the Maldives, with its mayor elected through a city-wide vote. In Malé, each voter casts a single vote for mayor, and the candidate with the most votes wins since there’s no runoff in the Maldives’ local elections. Campaigning follows electoral laws and wraps up at 6:00 PM the day before the vote. No public opinion polls were conducted for the mayoral race.

Five candidates ran in the 2026 Malé mayoral race. (The main ward council seats were also up for election at the same time, but this article focuses only on the mayoral contest.) The candidates, along with their party affiliations and backgrounds, were:

• Adam Azim – Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP): Incumbent mayor (elected Jan 2024) and former executive in state firms (ex-CEO of MTCC and STO), Azim, 53, ran for re-election on the MDP ticket. ^[4]
• Moosa Ali Jaleel – People’s National Congress (PNC): Retired Major General and former Defence Minister, Jaleel, 65, is a decorated veteran (serving as CDF 2008–12 and Minister of Defence in 2015). ^[5]
• Ismail Zariyand – Independent (backed by the People’s National Front, PNF): Zariyand, 58, is a former national football team goalkeeper and long-serving state auditor. In December 2025 the newly formed PNF (led by ex-President Abdulla Yameen) announced Zariyand as its mayoral candidate. He campaigned on a platform of legal accountability for the city council, combating corruption, and improving city services within the council’s authority. ^[6]
• Ahmed Aiham Mohamed – Independent: Aiham, 27, is a youth activist, community organizer and former journalist active in NGOs (including youth and environmental movements). Running as a non-partisan candidate (unable to get a major party ticket), he advocated “smart city” urban-planning reforms: traffic light optimization, better public transport and parking, more green spaces, and greater transparency and citizen participation. ^[7]
• Abdulla Mahzoom Majid – Maldives Development Alliance (MDA): Mahzoom Majid is an LLB-trained lawyer and youth politician who formerly served as Deputy Minister (later suspended) in government. He had been active in student protests and youth movements; in 2025 he gained attention as a leader of the Dhuleh Nukuraanan protest. He ran under the MDA banner (a small registered party) focusing on youth and justice issues. ^{[8] [9]}

The campaign stayed mostly low-key aside from party rallies, with main topics centering on urban infrastructure, governance, and the city’s ties to the national government. Azim pointed to his track record as mayor on infrastructure and flood control, though he offered few new pledges. ^[10] Jaleel focused on aligning with President Muizzu’s development plans—like land reclamation and dredging—and promised results through “diligence and sincerity,” prioritizing housing, road upgrades, and foreign labor concerns.^[11] Zariyand vowed not to promise beyond the city council’s powers, aiming to audit past unlawful decisions and ensure fair access to services; he was formally endorsed by former President Yameen, who praised Zariyand’s integrity.^[12] Aiham, the independent candidate, campaigned on a non-partisan, “smart city” agenda: installing dynamic traffic lights, bike lanes and parking solutions, increasing green spaces, and enhancing transparency and public participation. The MDA’s Mahzoom Majid campaigned on youth and justice issues (e.g. accountability), but drew little media attention.

Adam Azim won by a clear margin, taking roughly 45% of valid votes. Jaleel (PNC) finished second with about 30%. Notably, independent Zariyand surpassed Jaleel in early counts but ultimately trailed by about 10 points.

The turnout (32,665 votes cast of 58,169 registered) was ~56%. (For comparison, turnout in the 2024 by-election had been only 31.8%.