Former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom slammed the Elections Commission (EC) President Fuad Thaufeeq, following a letter forwarded by the commission, requesting Gayoom clarify his claim that “election results do not turn out the way people vote”.
“Fuad misinterpreted my words,” Gayoom alleged in his response letter to the EC on Sunday night. “By claiming that I spoke in an irresponsible manner, [Fuad] has damaged the people’s trust in me”, he continued.
He also defended the remarks, pointing out that he did not say that the results do not turn out the way people want “because of the Election Commission’s actions”.
Gayoom made the remarks at a meeting of opposition Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) on Thursday, after reiterating the PPM interim council’s decision advising against MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla’s intention to resign and contest for the Laamu Fonadhoo seat on a PPM ticket.
“I know that if he resigns he will be re-elected on a comfortable majority on a PPM ticket,” Gayoom said. “I don’t doubt that at all. However, we know the state of affairs in the country right now – election results do not turn out the way people vote. So what are we going to do?”
Following the remarks, the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) released a statement condemning Gayoom’s remarks, contending that it was an attempt to “bring the Elections Commission, an independent institution, into disrepute, turn the public against it and plunge the nation into a pit of discord and conflict.”
The statement noted that former Elections Commissioners were directly appointed by Gayoom while island chiefs “hovered around ballot boxes.”
The EC also conceded that Gayoom’s remarks damaged the people’s confidence in the institution.
Fuad Thaufeeq told Minivan News on Sunday that the commission was “shocked” to hear the remarks and wanted to understand the reasons as to why Gayoom made such a claim.
In its letter, the EC asked Gayoom whether he had made the remarks because vote rigging was involved during his 30-year tenure as the President.
Fuad noted that the comments implying vote rigging have “provided reason for people to look at the commission with doubt” as it came from the former President, who has many supporters and currently leads the third largest political party in Maldives. “That is why we wanted him to clarify the claims”, says Fuad.
Meanwhile, in a press statement issued by PPM, the party claimed that the commission has not taken action against the people who have disgraced the commission’s integrity in the past.
Referring to the letter sent to Gayoom, PPM alleged that the EC’s actions imply that the commission is getting “personal” with PPM.
(0)Dislikes
(0)Related Posts
Final election preparations proceed- Debate on new Elections Commission nominations disrupts Majlis
- High Court to open on Friday to receive election-related cases
- Candidates for Villingili and Mahibadhoo constituency seek to invalidate elections
- JP member files case seeking Majlis elections delay
- EC dismissals: PPM urges appointment of new commissioners ahead of Majlis polls
A man who does not have the courage and fortitude to discipline his wife and make her submit to the modesty of the veil is no leader at all, but a worshipper of demons!
@Dhivehi Hangover
You need to get laid my friend. Real bad.
Dhivehi Hanguraama, are you god to decide that? if not where and when did god say that?
Trust in You, I never trusted you, you bleeding D**k head. This moron will bark until the effects of all the bot-ox and rest of the drug effects are worn out.
Fuad is very aware of every action you take and every word you say very well, further more he knows where you drank all the Frisiana MILK too.
Speech-writers really should pay closer attention to the material they hand to public figures of Qayyoom's standing.
This goes for the MDP too. President Nasheed has made several remarks that have permanently damaged public trust in the judiciary which is the Supreme interpreter of the Constitution.
Attacking institutions is not the right way. We need to strengthen them and stand by them if we truly want a democracy.
Personally speaking though, I agree with Koli Ali Maniku, we need some autocratic features in our rule for our continued economic development. This democracy farce has gone on long enough.
Gayyoom did not directly say that elections commission is changing vote results. But when he say 'the vote results do not turn out the way people vote', it indirectly means that Elections Commission is changing ballots to turn votes. Unless votes are changed, the result would be how people vote. Even a primary student would know that.
Since 2008 presidential election, the Elections Commission conducts the voting unlike other times where the people appointed by Gayyoom's government does it. One such time, Gayyoom got 100% votes. LOL! What a joke!
Fuad speaks so peacefully and beautifully. My thaaeed for him! He has a gifted accent.
gay yoom said that with a wink...... he 's just joking, dont get all too personell about, his 30 years he was mostly fooling around with peoples feelings . its pretty innocent.
problem is u guys are getting too personel everytime it barks...
"Personally speaking though, I agree with Koli Ali Maniku, we need some autocratic features in our rule for our continued economic development."
I can assure you that you're in a select minority here. We have had that sort of leadership since time immemorial! The autocrats have embezzled our money and made them, their families and friends rich beyond anyone's wildest dreams.
We will never let that happen again. People like yourself have to understand that what happened in 2008 was a one-way road to democracy. There's no turning back. It's a bit like the single currency of the European Union. They didn't design it to revert back to individual member states currencies.
The Maldivian democracy can only go forward. Over time, we will learn how to properly agree to disagree with each other. This is something very new to Maldivians. We are not used to intellectual debates!
I agree with brother and Muslim Mujahid, Dhivehi Hanguraama. First, Maumoon should ensure that his wife is properly covered, as per the instructions in the Holy Quran! Maybe afterwards, he can actually share his opinions with the rest of us.
I do not like Maumoon, for he was the one who shaved pious Muslims' beards, and branded them wahabis, which is simply madness! Having a beard is a wajib, and we shall make it compulsory for all muslim men in the future, when the people and the politicians are more pious than ever before. The first step came when a court declared that keeping such a beard, is close to a wajib than a sunnah! I guess this is a huge dent in the plans of the Jews! Magenta is also a colour used widely by the wretched Jewish homosexuals (God punish them) and therefore, I fear this party is trying to spread the disease of the people of Lot, homosexuality, on our soil subhanallah! However, we shall not stand and watch as this happens inshallah!
Allahu Akbaru!
Gayoom's wife demonstrated that we don't have to be an extremists with Hijab to be a Muslim. Despite her husband's knowledge of islam, she decided to keep her head uncovered, but as a compromise agreed to wear Pyjamas all the time. Close friends of Gayooms indicate Nasreena was suffering from a terrible skin disease otherwise she would be wearing short skirts during the 30 far rule of her husband. Her daughters out wedlock (who are bastards), decided to continue the same path. Yaameen's wife despite his sudden religious overtures, continued to follow Nasreena. They have had their time in power and to bring them back to the Palace is the worst thing we can ever think of.
Koli Ali Maniku enjoyed his life to the fullest when we had dictators running our country. They all depended on him, while he built a hotel chain from government money and gave education to government ministers kids (shaheen hameed is a good example) and told the government that he was paying for it and they don't have to serve the country. You can never trust this bastard, he sucked the Maldivians bone dry.
@Ibrahim Luthfee
We are in 21st century, where in the world you live, out of wedlock (bastard) we don’t know these terms. Come out of the box Mr. Fisherman…… Every child has a father some time the father is known to others and generally people don’t hide from their children. Maumoon is not even hiding from his children and you seem too consumed with your hate and your backwardness and ignorance is so humongous that we can’t consider you as a human being. What disease are you suffering, oxymoron? It must be filaria I know your parents had that disease
Yup Dhivehi Hanguraama needs to get laid badly. To get back on topic, Maumoon must be recalling his good old days when he could rig the votes at his whim, and magically produce 100% yes votes in islands.
I don't think we have any politician we can trust. They all seem to be greedy and hungry for power rather than think about fellow citizens. Qayyoom: seriously you should not back off quietly. Bring in some new person and stay away from politics. Haven't you had enough of ruling and looting this country? Anni: we trusted for the change you told of, but you have seem to rather following towards a dictators path as well. The main problem with you is that your policies are not your, rather of incompetent people around you. You believe the country belongs to MDP rather than you as the head of state to run it. Thats what I don't like it. You have done some good things but so did Maumoon in his time. and as for looting the country, you both seem to have done it. I know some personally some projects you have nded over under the desk to many of your friends and family. That is not right in a democracy. So you see, we can't trust PPM and MDP now. The rest are all too useless. Adhaalath works in a two faced way playing the religious card. I never believe the scholars are the right person who can bring a democracy. DRP is like a child without a mother. They don't even have a storng leader. So who is left. I don't really know who is the right person to vote now. We don't have a trustworthy leader who can really bring some betterment in out ordinary lives, one whome we can trust us for our safety and not to make us too dependent on other countries. God bless Maldives.
isn't that a good thing???
What has gayyoom done so good for you to even compare 30 years with 3 years?
@ tsk tsk
Thank God we have a President who is not fraid of drawing attention to institutions that don't work. The Judiciary in the Maldives is obe big joke.
@mohanu:
Our executive is a big joke as well. We all think our institutions are big jokes because our expectations are too high. So we go along with smear campaigns sponsored by politicians of every color and stripe.
Our judiciary was freed from executive control only a mere 3 years ago. Do you really believe that this is enough to propel our courts to the level of those in Singapore or the UK?
However they have made steps in the right direction. These are not recognized or publicized by politicians or the media.
The Executive on the other hand functions unchecked. Parliamentary oversight is labelled an intrusion on Executive territory. This is regardless of the fact that checks and balances are a vital part of democracy.
Get a decent education, get a life and do not comment on things you don't understand.
"Our judiciary was freed from executive control only a mere 3 years ago."
What a big, bald-faced lie.
The judiciary has always been under the thumb of the Maumoon regime. It was only when Anni worked up the guts to stop the injustice carried out by these so called 'judges' that the regime strongmen decided they were at risk of being brought to justice and carried out a coup.
Why do you lie?