The Election Commission (EC) has sent a formal letter of warning to the religious conservative Adhaalath Party, stating that the commission would take action should the party continue violating the Political Parties Act – the parent legislation upon which all political parties are founded.
Speaking to local media, Adhaalath Party Spokesperson Ali Zahir confirmed to local media that the party had received the letter.
Zahir said that the EC, in the letter signed by the Vice Chair of Elections Commission Ahmed Fayaz and addressed to the President of Adhaalath Party Sheikh Imran Abdulla, the commission condemned remarks made by the members of the party during a rally held at the Jumhoree Party’s campaign headquarters at Maafannu Kunooz.
The Adhaalath Party, along with the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) and the Jumhoree Party (JP) formed an umbrella coalition to back JP Leader and resort tycoon Gasim Ibrahim in the presidential election. However, following the defeat in the election, both the DQP and the Adhaalath have joined the JP’s contention that the election had been rigged in favor of both the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).
According to Zahir, the EC claimed that Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Imran’s speech during the rally could lead to chaos and ‘fitnah’ among the society.
The commission in the letter noted that the High Court could order the dissolution of a political party should the party attempt to incite hate and violence among the people, said Zahir.
Sheikh Imran during the speech claimed that the Jumhoree coalition would not accept the results of the scheduled run-off election, regardless of who won it. The Adhaalath party claimed that the dissenting remarks were made against the EC after it announced it would take action against the party for labelling opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters ‘Laadheenee’ (Anti-Islamic).
The rally eventually turned into a protest as the JP supporters gathered outside the residence of the EC Chair Fuwad Thowfeek calling for his resignation. The protesters maintained that last Saturday’s election had been rigged in favor of PPM and MDP.
The EC during a press conference on Tuesday announced that legal action would be taken against those political parties who sought to deploy Islam as a political weapon.
“The EC will do everything it can to take legal action against those who use Islam as a political weapon by labeling others as impious,” said the Vice Chair of EC Ahmed Fayaz. “This is a duty of the commission.”
Fayaz noted that Islam cannot be “hijacked” or “held hostage” by one particular group or political party.
“Because the Political Parties Act states that no one can use Islam as a political weapon”, the courts would be asked to dissolve any political party that is guilty of violating the law, said Fayaz.
Legal action would also be taken against people who “insult” or “disrespect” Islam, he added.
Speaking to Minivan News on Tuesday about the threats of violence, Chair of EC Fuwad Thowfeek responded saying that “it is very sad – especially [coming from] big political parties and some with them, like Sheikh Imran [Abdulla], President of the Adhaalath Party, who spoke in an uncivilised manner. It’s a pity political parties are behaving in that manner.”
“Human beings are given the mental ability to think. That is how you know to distinguish right and wrong. I think what is happening here is someone has gone insane. When you lose your brain these things happen,” EC Vice Chair Ahmed Fayaz was quoted as saying by local media outlet CNM.
“I have not done anything wrong. If I had done something wrong I would resign immediately,” Fayaz continued. “I wouldn’t wait until any state institution comes up and says that I breached the law. I’m not worried about security. You only die once,” he added.
The Adhaalath Party meanwhile questioned the motive of EC claiming that it was the only party who had received the letter from the commission while several other political parties had also criticized the commission.
“We also believe that action must be taken against political parties that violate the Political Parties Act. But it should be done in the right order. They should first take action against those who had breached the law first before coming to us,” said Ali Zahir.
Minivan News tried contacting both Chair of EC Fuwad Thowfeek and Vice Chair Ahmed Fayaz, but were not responding to calls at time of press.
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Adaalath has lost it.
Now they can even suck golf balls though a garden hose..
🙂
Adhaalath waved the religion-wand, which triggered the fall of Anni on 2012.
What they never thought was that people will see through their religious mumbo - jumbo and re-elect Anni, as their saviour.
Anni is the new SAVIOUR!!!! MDP! MDP!
Finally the mullahs and the elite clash. All this time it was us small fry that were their target but now the powers that be are threatened. Fuad, don't warn. Do it. Ban Islamist parties. Bangladesh had the balls to do it. Ban these crazies before they turn Dhivehistan into a full-blown mullacracy. Do it. Do it now. Or are you waiting for their jihadi-minions to chop you up like an onion? They're not afraid of death either, remember?
Islam is bigger than any one person. It is bigger than any country. It is greater than the Maldivian nation. For too long, Islam has been misused and abused in the Maldives. Islam has also been used to hold back the country, and fool common people.
Adalath on a false inquisition questioning the faith of people when theydp no get their way, has surly exposed them to be a fraud. Adaalath is danger to society and Islam.
the case should be filed immediately, due process is important to a democracy.
It's about time the EC did something about this long standing problem. Any imbecile can jump on a podium and shout about Islam at the top of his/her voice. Furthermore, there are some retarded minds claiming that we cannot separate religion and politics.
This is not a question of separating the two but about ABUSING religion in the name of politics. These are two very different issues. I guess the mentally challenged cannot understand the difference. Sigh.
Here's a perfect example of the mentally challenged: Gayyoom is begging people to vote for his brother in the "name of religion and nation". What the f**k?
Since when did Yameen become a symbol of religion? Gayyoom defecated on golden toilets in the "name of religion and nation". F*** off!
At last we are beginning to see someone stand up to these thugs.
correct one:
Apparently, Maumoon has also just used Islam as a political weapon by presenting the run off elections as a battle between those who want Islam and those who don’t.
There is no verse in Qur’an which defines true believers as those who reject Mohammed Nasheed of the Maldives, Maumoon.
If we want to get into the battle over whose rule was genuinely MUSLIM or NOT though, between Maumoon’s and Anni’s, Where does one even start!
Prophet (SAW) rejected materialistic opulence in favor of great generosity. Whose rule seeks to be generous, to live for the welfare of the people like true Muslim rule? Who wants social services, MDP! Their rule is a million times more Islamic in spirit than Maumoon and Yameen’s completely HARAAM pursuit of opulence!
Should I go on listing Haraam policies, lives of Yameen and Maumoon?
Nasheed's rule and MDP policies serve the spirit of ISLAM and the cause of ISLAM WAY MORE than Maumoon and Yameen's rule EVER could!
Don’t press me to go on PPM, it is against Islam for me to use Islam like this as a weapon against you, and I’ll later regret it. YOU WILL ALSO! But you force me to fight Haraam with Haraam!
YAMEEN! MAUMOON! BENJAMIN ABDUL-RAHMAN (myself)! Stop violating and degrading Islam by making it look like a petty, small hearted toll of political vengeance.
I am proud I will never share the views of these so called defenders of Islam. They prone hatred and division whereas love and harmony are intrinsic values of Islam that they never mention!!!
Surely by now Maldivians are sick and tired of having their deep Islamic beliefs manipulated and played with to serve the greed of tyrants!
For many hundreds of years, Islamic beliefs have given the Maldivian people strength, stoic nobility, stability and dignity in the face of adversity and suffering! Iman (FAITH) is the greatest treasure the Islanders have, it is the ONLY treasure that the tyrants can't take away from them! Nobody can make them give it up, not Anni or anyone!
But at least in these LATEST elections, Anni has not been messing around with your deepest heart held treasure of FAITH and manipulating it to serve his own will to power the way Yameen and Maumoon have!
Maldivians, please REJECT those who PLAY with and manipulate that which is sacred to you, YOUR FAITH. Nobody has the right to toy with your HEART, with your SOUL like that and USE the deepest thing you have to CON you into being their SLAVES!
Yameen! You have taken everything from Maldivians! Their children! Their WEALTH (through the oil scam which was originally a Sadaqah MEANT to benefit ALL Maldivians.) NOW GET YOUR EVIL HANDS OFF OF THEIR HEARTS< OFF OF THEIR MOST SACRED TREASURE< THEIR FAITH, and stop trying to use even THAT to serve your ferocious LUST for VENGEANCE!
Adhaalath Party surely needs to be "checked" and halted!
On principle I support phasing religion out of politics but who are we kidding? If we want to walk the walk, we must talk the talk. The political set-up of the country has institutionalized the use of Islam as a political tool and if one party were to be punished for it then it would smack of unfairness and personal bias - as much as I hate to defend Adalat.
Let me explain;
- Our Constitution says this country is founded on Islamic principles and Islam is one source of its law.
- Our Constitution makes it a duty upon the State and the Executive in particular to uphold and promote the uniform practice of Islam.
- Since the Nasheed-regime introduced a separate Ministry of Islamic Affairs, the regulation of religious practice has become a matter of policy and hence open to policy debate.
- Elections are a messy affair in every country and you have opposing parties calling each other names and declaring each other's incompetence in key policy areas.
- If Islam is to be our State religion and also a practice regulated by the government such as business or social welfare, then no doubt political parties will seize upon it as a campaign issue. Just like some parties have accused candidates of being ignorant in economics or not being a democrat then according to the current politico-legal framework parties must be free to call each other irreligious and not a true muslim.
It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth when I say this but that is what we have wrought by endorsing a Constitution that institutionalizes the political use of Islam. So we must have the integrity and honesty to abide by those principles unless we have the guts to come out and secularize the State in law and in fact.
this isn't about 'abuse of Islam'. this is about an elections commission that is attempting to campaign for the party that their top members belong to.
was 'fitna' spread by adhaalath alone?