The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has interviewed 100 members of President Mohamed Waheed’s Gaumee Ihthihaadh Party (GIP) and alleged 85 percent of those polled had no knowledge of ever joining the party.
According to a statement from the ACC, these interviewees said they had neither filled out nor signed any GIP membership forms. The ACC said the details of the interviewees had been shared with the Elections Commission (EC), and called on it to cease processing GIP’s membership forms until it had verified they were genuine.
Other issues in the submitted membership forms highlighted by the ACC included inconsistencies between entry dates and dates written on the forms, as well as the case of some applicants having died prior to signing their forms.
“Two of the forms submitted to the Elections Commission for registration as Gaumee Ihthihaadh Party members were signed by persons who had passed away prior to the forms being sent to the EC. One person who according to the form had signed up for the party on March 6, 2013 had in fact passed away on August 8, 2012. Another applicant said to have signed up on February 16, 2013, but passed away on January 16, 2011,” the ACC declared.
The ACC said the investigation followed a complaint received by the commission stating the GIP had fraudulently enrolled members in their party through the misuse of records and information of two state institutions.
GIP Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza was not responding to calls at time of press.
Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) leader and running mate of Waheed for the September Presidential elections, Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, and DRP MP Dr Abdulla Mausoom, were also not responding to calls.
“You can falsify records of members, not their hearts” : Nasheed
“A robbery you commit will not push citizens into depression and hopelessness. The people remain firm,” former President and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Presidential Candidate Nasheed said in reference to the ACC statement on GIP’s alleged fraudulence.
Speaking at a party rally held Thursday night, Nasheed said that although a party can falsify people’s records and include them in a party register, they could not steal hearts and loyalty.
Observing that GIP, which performed poorly in past elections, had nonetheless somehow managed to raise its membership above the new 10,000 member minimum, Nasheed accused the party of trying to “steal our members” and called for investigation and criminal charges.
Nasheed declared that monitoring the political party registry was the responsibility of the Elections Commission, and said the Prosecutor General was required to take action over the ACC’s allegations.
“The political party registry is one of the key resources needed to build good governance for the people. This cannot be tampered with. By tampering with and falsifying this register, we are obstructing our roads to development,” he stated.
MDP also released a press statement condemning the fraud and “Waheed’s attempts to further undermine democracy, following his actions to topple a democratically elected government through a coup d’etat”.
“This party is deeply concerned that personal records of citizens held in state institutions with confidentiality are being misused to further the temporary political needs of a particular people, and that the whole democratic system is being undermined for these personal political aims,” the statement read.
The party called on the Prosecutor General to investigate and take legal action against the leader of the GIP, President Mohamed Waheed.
“If fraud is confirmed, membership will be made void”: EC
Elections Commission Vice President Ahmed Fayaz stated that the commission is currently reviewing the GIP membership forms, and verifying the findings of the ACC.
“We hope to have completed the verification process by next Monday. If we can confirm that there is indeed fraudulent membership applications, we will make them void. We will then notify the party and advise against repeating such acts,” Fayaz said.
“As the courts have not made a ruling on the Political Party Act, GIP will also remain a party for the time being even if this investigation leads to them having less than the required 10,000 members,” Fayaz said.
The Supreme Court issued an injunction on March 14 which stands effective to date, ordering all authorities to not consider any political party as dissolved until the court rules on a case submitted by then Attorney General Azima Shakoor claiming that parts of the Political Party Act contravene the constitution.
As per the Act, a political party must have a minimum of 10,000 members to be included in the political party register.
The Political Party Act placed 11 parties at risk of dissolution. GIP and the Adhaalath Party have since submitted enough forms to the Elections Commission to reach the 10,000 member target.
On March 13, GIP Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza claimed that “the Political Party Act was fabricated to destroy GIP”.
Riza also contended then that Maldives’ political party system was “significantly in need of smaller political parties” and that all major political parties had “betrayed the nation” because it had the support base needed to do so.
Prosecutor General Ahmed Muizz and Prosecutor General’s Office Media Official Hussain Nashid were not responding to calls at time of press.
Progressive Party of Maldives MP Ahmed Nihan was also not available for comments.
(0)Dislikes
(0)Related Posts
PPM predicts election win, barring any “major incidents”
Elections Commission to respond after Supreme Court issues injunction on dissolution of parties
Eleven political parties dissolved after controversial bill ratified by President
DRP overtakes PPM in member numbers
Debate on new Elections Commission nominations disrupts Majlis
EC dismissals: Fuwad and Fayaz remain EC members, says Majlis committee
According to Waheed this is a jihad and his mullahs will confirm that "War is deceit". So I don't see why such deception is a problem. Lying for the sake of Holy Allah can't be a problem when you steal, murder and rape for his sake, can it?
There will be only one way left. Revolution. With a complete overhaul of the government and making "high officials" in person accountable. For fraud of democracy and corruption too. High treason as the cherry on the cake.
Will the dead also turn up for the elections? Expect to witness ballot papers signed by spirits. Remember the guy who mastered that art for 30 years? Yes, he's still around and Waheed seems to have learned his methods fast!
Maldives; a new democracy moulded from camel dung on the banks of the Nile...
Are these idiots at ACC had nothing else to do.?
Whole country is corrupted from top to bottom ?
Kuribee, here, rub this salt on your wounds.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/GMR-seeks-1-4-billion-in-damages-from-Maldives/articleshow/20698706.cms
Because of people like you, the whole country is bankrupt. Why don't you go back to Afghanistan's mulla cesspits where you belong? And take your nappy Waheed with you.
Baghee Waheed caught with his nappy around his ankles!
Toppee! Go and stand in the corner!
Actually people are generally good, regardless of race, color and creed. Only pushed to evil and badness in desperation.
What I am enjoying is the transformation of the poster Homosexual. (No pun intended).
He has gone from reasoned argument to rampant sarcasm...the highest form of intelligence, to the lowest form of wit....All over the course of a few months.
Waheed who?
@Kuribee
Are you for real??
Politicians are more refined actors than Academy Award Winning Hollywood actors. It's fascinating to observe the Maldivian varieties of the Machiavellian art in action. There's the conservatives who play the liberals, the realists who play the liberals, the extremists who play the moderates. Are there ANY genuine liberals? I don't believe so. But the drama is amazing, at least it would be if not for the fact that real life HUMANS are being wounded in their PLAY.
Waheed's performance is particularly perplexing because, I still have not been able to make a decision about what HE really wants for the Maldives. His next performance should be his own rendition of Pinnochio.
Ben, that's okay. We can put him in the safari and let tourists and Maldivians take rifle shots at him. For 3Rf each bullet.
All proceeds go to national reconstruction.
Hehe!
Not surprising!
A traitor cannot be anything else be it under oath or what ever!
the nation,the government,the citizen are divided by this political parties and used by the so called leaders of the parties which aim is only their personal gains. you can't even have a good business with others which is a member of political party & when they start a topic about politics they just go in rage with each rival party. this country is sinking & everyone is pointing their fingers.
you think that we need to believe that Nasheed gave away the airport to GMR is a clean deal?
90 % of Maldivian will not believe and that was the biggest corrupt deal ever done in this country.
ACC is being corrupt and GMR and Nasheed must have given money to them to come out with the report?
ACC had mentioned that during the investigation " we have questioned some people and they told that they can not remember things now" What a joke is this ?
This mean anyone can rob anything and then say " I am sorry i do not remember whether I have robbed or not " then it becomes legitimate ?
ACC had only produced this report just two days prior that GMR was supposed to send their comments to Singapore court for the claims that Maldives had submitted? What a good timing was this report?
Majority of Maldivian are not idiots like Yellow party followers and Nasheed and his cronies had taken huge money out of this deal under the table.
Yes I agree, that Nasheed and his cronies not had taken any money in a transparent way and the money was given under then table which is going to be difficult prove unless an investigative body goes behind the personal accounts of those involved.
@i on Sat, 22nd Jun 2013 12:54 PM
"this country is sinking & everyone is pointing their fingers."
There lies the beauty of democracy. In the old days we could all point those fingers at the presiding dictator, or Sultan. Not anymore; we are all in the same sinking ship now!
Kuribee, what money? Maldives is bankrupt. There IS no money.
Now do us MALDIVIANS a favor and ship yourself to Auschwitz, circa 1940. That's where Ruder Finn thugs like you belong
Kuribee which 90% are u talking abt. 90% of Mullah's.