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The Elections Commission has warned it may not be able to place ballot boxes in London, Singapore and New Delhi for the upcoming presidential elections September 7, as current figures from the commission suggest that the number of registered voters is trailing below the required minimum 100 registered voters.
Speaking to Minivan News on Thursday, Vice President of the Elections Commission Ahmed Fayaz said that with the deadline for voter registration expiring on August 7, the current rate of registration could mean Maldivians residing in London, New Delhi and Singapore may not be able to cast their vote in the elections.
“However, we can only say that for sure after the deadline expires,” he said.
Fayaz said other regions outside the country where large number of Maldivians currently reside are doing well in terms of registration. So far, the commission confirmed that it will be able to place ballot boxes in Trivandrum, Colombo and Malaysia.
According to Fayaz, 652 Maldivians have registered to vote in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 225 have registered to vote in Trivandrum, India and 302 people have registered to vote in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He also said the commission is currently working to get the figures from Singapore, London and Delhi.
Despite fears expatriate Maldivians would be unable to vote, the Chair of Elections Commission Fuwad Thowfeek – who is currently on the island of Fuahmulah conducting voter education programs – appeared confident that the commission could still place ballot boxes in the affected regions as past experience suggested Maldivians tend to register “at the last minute”.
“Even during the last elections, people registered to vote in the last week of registration. This is the last week. So I believe people will register and we will be able to place ballot boxes in all regions,” Thowfeek said.
Fuwad said the Elections Commission had been collaborating with respective Maldivian High Commissions in the regions to register voters for the upcoming elections.
“We have placed a focal point for the Elections Commission in all the High Commissions including Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, India and UK. This has been done on the recommendations of the High Commissions as well,” he explained.
Thowfeek said that High Commissions will help register votes during normal working hours of the respective countries, according to a procedure is similar to that carried out in the Maldives.
“The process is similar to [registration in] Male. A person who is, say for example, living in Ahmedabad in India can register to vote at Trivandrum through a friend. All he would need to do is to send a copy of his national ID card via fax or email. Likewise, a person living abroad can even register to vote in Male, by doing the same process. It is very similar to the procedure going on in Male,” he explained.
As in the Maldives, Thowfeek also said that political parties can assist in the registration of voters abroad.
“They will have to submit the registration forms to our focal points in the respective High Commissions. Registration can then be done from the High Commissions,” he said.
The Elections Commission has meanwhile established an online mechanism through its website for people to check the ballot box where they are registered to vote.
By entering a national ID card number, the website will display the name of the voter, the permanent address of the voter and the ballot box and the location where the voter is eligible to vote.
For Maldivians residing abroad, details can also be checked at focal points established in the High Commissions, Thowfeek added.
The Elections Commission have previously announced that the Presidential Elections are scheduled to take place on September 7. If no candidate attains the required 50 percent plus one vote to secure a first round election victory a run-off election is to take place 20 days after the first election.
The commission has announced that four candidates will be competing in the elections.
The candidates are leader of the Jumhoree Party (JP) Gasim Ibrahim (running mate Dr Hassan Saeed), Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) candidate former President Mohamed Nasheed (running mate Dr Musthafa Luthfy), incumbent President and independent candidate Dr Mohamed Waheed (running mate DRP leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali) and Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) candidate Abdulla Yameen (running mate Dr Mohamed Jameel.
Check the voter registry and registered place of voting
Download registration form (Dhivehi)
In the Maldives? Check your details via SMS
To check where/if you are registered to vote, SMS 1414 ‘VIS(space)(National ID#)’
To check political party registration, SMS 1414 ‘PPR(space)(National ID#)’
Elections Commission hotline: 1414
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Friends of mine have been turned away from the HC in London, because they are registered as MDP members. May be that is why there is a low turn out.
A person who is, say for example, living in Ahmedabad in India can register to vote at Trivandrum through a friend. All he would need to do is to send a copy of his national ID card via fax or email. Likewise, a person living abroad can even register to vote in Male, by doing the same process. It is very similar to the procedure going on in Male
and then i woke up and thought...it was a dream
Not everyone can afford to travel to these loactions. Wonder when the Elections Commission will set up vote by post?
Maldivians should not be allowed to ENTER India never mind VOTE in New Delhi.
Judging by the mess your immigration department is in, is your Elections Commission capable of managing the overseas vote?
Before you short, fat and dim islanders have a go at me, let me tell you that despite having a vast and diverse population of 1.2 billion people.....of which 80% is rural.....with complex administrative and collection challenges.....we manage to successfully conduct all our elections.
I just hope your Elections Commission were not trained in Egypt, Syria or Pakistan!!
@MissIndia NewDelhi
There are more short fat dimwitted people in India, your disparaging your country men. lol
@missindia are you forgetting world famous Smelly Indians . Even here in Australia , people call them stink fests ! LOL
No body thought of the possibility that people just don't care about voting? That the system has colossally failed. Corruption in all political parties and none of the cases ever gets solved. Ftech, Nexbiz, Oil, FPID etc.