2017 Maldivian local elections

The 2017 Maldives local elections were held on 6 May 2017 to elect members of Island Councils, Atoll Councils and City Councils across the country. The elections were originally scheduled for January 2017 but were postponed multiple times following requests by the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives, legal disputes, and adjustments requested by the Elections Commission. The final date was set after the Supreme Court rejected further delays.
The elections took place during a period of heightened political tension between the government of President Abdulla Yameen and the opposition coaltion alliance led by the Maldivian Democratic Party, Adhaalath Party, Jumhooree Party and Maldives Reform Movement. Local councils are the primary organs of decentralized administration under the 2010 Decentralization Act, making the elections an important indicator of national political sentiment.