Day: September 17, 2013

Supreme Court hears Jumhooree Party’s case requesting election annulment

The Supreme Court has held the first hearing of the case filed by the Jumhooree Party (JP) against the Elections Commission (EC), requesting the apex court annul the presidential election held earlier this month.

Following a third place finish in the poll, JP leader and resort tycoon Gasim Ibrahim announced his belief that he “should have finished the race in first place”, denouncing the results released by the EC.

During the first hearing the legal team of the JP, led by Gasim’s running mate and former Attorney General Dr Hassan Saeed, produced 13 reasons for the court to annul the elections. The party was also joined today by Attorney General Azima Shukoor and representatives of the second-placed Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), who criticised the EC in court.

Among the reasons given by Dr Saeed were: the inclusion of 669 deceased people in the voter registry, 102 repeated names, and the inclusion of 1,818 fake people whose national identity card numbers were not in Department of National Registration (DNR) database.

Dr Hassan also produced the names of voters allegedly omitted from the voter list, cases of double voting and of EC officials not using police assistance when transporting ballot boxes.

Prior to the hearing scheduled today (September 17), Dr Saeed told local media that in its petition filed at the Supreme Court, the JP would also request that the court order the security services to oversee the entire electoral process of a fresh presidential election.

The JP, in light of the evidence produced, requested the court declare the voter list and voter registry to have been compiled in contrast to the requirements of the law, and to therefore annul the presidential polls.

The party also requested that the court issue an injunction ordering the Elections Commission to stop work towards the scheduled run-off elections expected to happen on September 28.

EC response and High Court hearing

In response to the claims, Elections Commission’s lawyer and former Attorney General Husnu Al Suood claimed that JP’s evidence lacked any substance or basis, and questioned the authenticity of the documents produced to the court.

“The ultimate question we are facing here is, has the Jumhooree Party produced sufficient evidence which is enough to annul a presidential election?” Suood asked the seven-member panel of judges.

Suood – citing cases from other countries, including the famous 2000 US Supreme Court case Bush v. Al Gore regarding its presidential elections – contested that a constitutional void could follow any delay of the electoral process.

Attorney General Azima Shukoor – representing the state – told the court that the Attorney General’s Office had also found discrepancies in the voter registry, including underage people listed as eligible for voting, and the mixing up of voter information – including gender, address, and date of birth.

Although the Attorney General did not explicitly support annulment of the election, she too along with PPM and JP spoke against the commission’s arguments.

Azima requested that the Supreme Court order the Prosecutor General’s Office to take action against those found responsible for electoral fraud and other discrepancies.

Meanwhile, PPM lawyer Adam Zaneen unexpectedly also requested the court to annul the election based on the discrepancies highlighted by the JP.

The opposition, and poll-leading MDP, disputed the PPM’s argument, echoing Suood’s assertion that the JP had not produced substantial evidence – even that required to prove by balance of probabilities – to substantiate claims of electoral fraud.

The MDP also contended that annulling the election would undermine the rights of 95,000 voters who had backed the its candidate.

The Chief Justice concluded by saying that another hearing of the case would be held Wednesday (September 18), though he did not state a time.

Earlier in the week, the JP filed a similar lawsuit against the EC at the High Court, requesting the court order the EC to hand over the original voting lists placed at the ballot boxes during voting.

After a hearing today, the High Court  ordered the EC to facilitate, in such a way that will remove the complainant’s doubts, the viewing of the voters list at the commission for Gasim Ibrahim himself or “a sufficient number” of his representatives.

The High Court panel stated that the ruling was based on the fact that candidates contesting in elections have the right to ascertain that all matters relating to elections are conducted freely and fairly, in a transparent manner, while the EC has a legal obligation to ensure and demonstrate the same.

Outside the courtroom, the EC has meanwhile emphatically rejected the JP’s allegations of misconduct, pointing to unanimous praise for the first round’s registration, voting and counting processes by local and international election observers.

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Nasheed government sought to make Maldives an “economic slave”: Economic development minister

Economic Development Minister Ahmed Mohamed yesterday (September 16) accused former President Mohamed Nasheed of working to make the Maldives “an economic slave” to an unspecified foreign company.

Ahmed, a senior member of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), which this week announced it would be backing Nasheed’s in a second round of voting for this year’s presidential election, was quoted in local media as being highly critical of the former head of state.

Although Economic Development Minister Ahmed did not reportedly name the foreign company accused of trying to enslave the nation.  However, the present government last year controversially scrapped a US$511 million contract signed under by Nasheed’s administration with India-based infrastructure group GMR to develop and manage an entirely new airport terminal.

The Maldives is presently facing a US$1.4 billion compensation claim from GMR for its decision to terminate the contract over allegations that the International Finance Corporation (IFC)-approved tender was open to corruption. The allegations were ultimately rejected by the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

However, Ahmed was reported in Sun Online as slamming Nasheed for alleged efforts to make the Maldives what he called an “economic slave” to a foreign business by taking loans with high interest rates and short repayment periods. The comments were made during a rally held by the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and its election coalition partner the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA).

Despite the claims, the government earlier this month said it hoped to secure longer-term financing to plug a shortfall in annual revenue that has seen the number of 28-day Treasury Bills (T-bills) sold by the state almost double in July 2013, compared to the same period last year.

Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad told Minivan News at the time that the state’s increased reliance on short-term T-bills between July 2012 and July 2013 reflected the current difficulties faced by the government in trying to raise budgeted revenue during the period. He cited minimal interest from the private sector in providing finance as adding to these difficulties.

Jihad added that the current administration was also reliant on 28 day T-bills, which were being sold as a means to “roll over” debt one month at a time.

“We are trying to have banks get longer-term finance such as T-bills at present,” he said.

Economic Development Minister Ahmed also claimed yesterday the number of doctors had fallen by the time of his controversial resignation last year following a mutiny by sections of the police and military, while also criticising the former president’s record towards education.

“By the time Nasheed resigned, the value of Maldivian Rufiyaa had been decreased by 32 percent, which means that a commodity which earlier cost MVR 100 (US$6.5), cost MVR 132 (US$8.5) by the time he resigned,” he was quoted as saying.

According to Sun Online, the economic development minister also said that the aim of unspecified peoples was to “remove” Nasheed from office.

Ahmed Mohamed was not responding to calls from Minivan News or requests to clarify his comments at time of press.

The comments were made as PPM vice presidential candidate Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed last week declared that former President Nasheed “will not be allowed to assume power”, even should he emerge as the clear winner in the run-off.

Clarifying his remarks to Minivan News at the time, Dr Jameel stated that his comments during the rally reflected the “criminal charge filed against Nasheed” concerning his role in the detention of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed, who stands accused of corruption and halting investigations into his conduct through the courts.

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Over 10,000 voters re-register as EC continues runoff preparations

The Elections Commission (EC) has received over 10,000 voter re-registration forms as its preparations for the second round of the presidential election continue amid controversy catalyzed by the Jumhooree coalition’s refusal to accept the first round results.

The coalition’s allegations of vote rigging have resulted in ongoing cases in the Supreme Court and High Court. Earlier this week, police barricaded the EC secretariat in response to these claims, searching its trash unsuccessfully for evidence of voter registry fraud.

The media has continued to disseminate unsubstantiated information about the commission, and threats have been directed at the EC’s chair, his family, and the vice chair, as well as EC official Ibrahim ‘Ogaru’ Waheed in the week-and-a-half since the presidential election’s first round.

The Jumhooree Party’s allegations that the EC rigged the first round vote include claims that an inaccurate voter registry and fake identity cards allowed individuals to vote more than once, or to cast ballots in the names of deceased people. The party has also alleged that the ballot counting process lacked transparency.

The EC has subsequently raised concerns that there may not be a suitable environment for the presidential election’s second round should Villa TV (VTV) – owned by JP leader Gasim Ibrahim – continue to deliberately spread false information and incite people to rise up against the commission.

Parliament’s National Security Committee and the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) are currently conducting separate investigations into the matter.

Despite these challenges, the EC is continuing to prepare for the second round runoff – scheduled for September 28 – and has emphatically dismissed allegations of vote rigging as “baseless and unfounded”. The EC has highlighted its transparency, its ongoing complaints investigations, and the praise from a broad spectrum of election observers who noted peaceful voting and the preparedness of the EC.

“With [election] officials from different sources [working] in front of [election] observers, there was no way the type of fraud [the JP is alleging] could be made,” EC Chair Fuwad Thowfeek recently told Minivan News.

“We have been strictly following the rules, regulations, laws, and constitution, so I don’t think there is room for anything to stop the second round voting,” he said.

“We are printing the ballot papers, conducting refresher training sessions for officials, prepping all the logistics, including travel plans, etc.,” he noted.

Over 10,000 re-register

Individuals registered to vote in one location had a four day re-registration opportunity – ending on Sunday (September 15) – to change that location according to their needs for the September 28 run-off.

The EC yesterday revealed that its secretariat in Male’ had received 10,000 re-registration forms and has sent replies to each individual. The commission is also currently processing re-registration forms forwarded from island councils in the atolls.

“The exact number of people who re-registered will only be known after the registration process is completed. About 10,000 forms were submitted for Male’ alone,” said EC Registration Department Head Aminath Majdha. “The exact number will be known when we know the number of forms submitted to the councils from the atolls.”

The re-registration forms that the commission has received thus far include new voters who did not participate in the first round polling, such as individuals who recently turned 18, as well as Maldivians who will be in Saudi Arabia performing the Hajj pilgrimage, Majdha explained.

The number of Maldivians now registered to vote in Saudi Arabia requires a ballot box to be stationed in the country, she added.

For the presidential election’s first round the EC stationed 470 ballot boxes on local islands, resorts, and diplomatic missions in Singapore, London, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka, as well as Trivandrum and New Delhi in order to accommodate 239,593 eligible voters.

Voting with forged ID’s not possible: DNR

Meanwhile, the Department of National Registration (DNR) has dismissed the possibility of individuals voting with forged national identity cards.

DNR Director General Fareeda Yoosuf has insisted there was no chance forged ID’s could be used to vote.

Each individual identity card is unique and does not change even when renewed and, even in cases where lost IDs are replaced, the same identity number is used, Yoosuf noted.

“The card number will remain the same for each individual no matter how many times the card is renewed,” she explained. “We haven’t issued identity cards with two different numbers to the same person, so I’m certain that can’t be done.”

“When each person has a unique number and is allowed to vote based on that number, there is no chance a person can vote more than once by using different ID numbers,” she continued.

No complaints of forged identity cards have been received by the DNR so far, she noted.

Earlier this week, the EC also announced that eight deceased individuals the JP had claimed to be on the electoral register had been found to be living.

The commission has determined that the eight people did cast ballots and has met five of them, EC Vice Chair Ahmed Fayaz told local media. The commission has received information that the other three individuals are also alive, though the EC has not yet been able to meet them.

Recount impossible

During last week’s National Advisory Committee meeting – where the JP, the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), and incumbent President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s representatives called for a recount of ballot boxes from the first round – the EC noted that the alleged voter discrepancy was not enough to call for a recount of all 470 ballot boxes.

The law states there are two instances where ballot boxes may be recounted: 1) If the EC decides the voting process was compromised and decides to conduct a recount to address a complaint(s); 2) If there is a court order issued for a recount, EC Vice Chair Fayaz explained recently.

However, the EC also emphasised that all the commission’s members were willing to conduct a recount of any ballot box where credible evidence of fraud is presented.

It would be impossible to conduct a recount prior to the second round, given that the time consuming task would require about two months to complete, EC Chair Thowfeek explained to Haveeru yesterday (September 16).

“That is something that simply cannot be done, it will take a long time to recount the votes,” said Thowfeek. “It takes around 12 hours to count four or five ballot boxes.”

Requesting a recount without any legal basis – only to remove personal doubts – is not sanctioned by the constitution or the elections law, he continued.

“The ballots had been counted in the presence of monitors, observers and representatives, so even if there is a recount, the results won’t change,” he noted. “Moreover, a vote recount is not something the people will welcome either.”

However, the PPM has alleged Thowfeek “changed his tune” about the time necessary to conduct a recount, claiming he told the National Advisory Committee the process would take about four days.

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MTCC head resigns shortly after MDP switch

The CEO of Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), Dr Ahmed Adham Abdulla, has resigned just hours after local media reported his decision to join the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

A former member of President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s Gaumee Ittihad Party (GIP), Abdullah, had told local media that his decision was made in the hope of providing the best service to the public.

“It’s not me, it’s the people who showed that, with their 45 percent that this is the way things should go. I am always a person who wants to serve the people. That’s why I joined the party that has a future,” he told Channel News Maldives.

The MTCC contracted ferry between Hulhumale’ and Male’ was temporarily suspended this morning after the contracted boats were not paid for – a situation Abdulla claimed was the result of large sums the company was itself owed.

Government aligned minister, Dr Ali Shareef, was dismissed from his post earlier this week after supporting his Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party’s decision to back the MDP’s President Nasheed in the presidential run-off.

Meanwhile, rumours continued to circulate regarding the future of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Ahmed Mahloof, who is also said to be on the verge of switching to the MDP.

PPM party leader and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, however, dismissed speculation when speaking at a campaign rally yesterday in Male’.

“I will say that by God’s will Mahloof will remain with us. I called him and talked to him just past sunset. He voiced some grievances. But he also believes that the nations interest must come first,” Gayoom was quoted as saying.

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MDP calls for parliament to reconvene, fears “disgraced” Supreme Court judges may “abrogate will of the people”

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has called on parliament to reconvene to stop the Supreme Court from potentially annulling the election results, claiming the apex court consists of “some disgraced judges who face allegations of lewd conduct.”

The MDP’s national executive committee held an emergency meeting today, after the Supreme Court accepted an appeal by the Jumhooree Party (JP) to annul September’s presidential polls. The JP placed third and narrowly missed the run-off.

The MDP was the front runner with 45.56 percent of the vote and is set to compete with Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) in run-off elections on September 28. International and domestic observers have praised the free and fair election process.

Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed has been implicated in a series of widely circulated sex videos, but the judicial oversight body Judicial Services Commission (JSC) decided not to suspend the judge against the recommendation of a subcommittee it set up to investigate the matter. JP’s presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim was a member on the JSC at the time.

Meanwhile, the UN Special Rapporteur for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Gabriela Knaul, in a damning report in May expressed concern over “inadequate and politicized” composition of the JSC and “shock” that members of the judiciary, including the Supreme Court, held memberships in political parties.

The PPM has declared that it supports the JP’s Supreme Court appeal, citing concern over election irregularities.

The UN Resident Coordinator in the Maldives, Tony Lisle, issued a statement today encouraging “all presidential candidates to respect the results” of the first round of presidential elections.

Reconvene parliament: MDP

The MDP’s National Executive Committee has requested the party’s Parliamentary Group to reconvene parliament sittings and take steps through the parliament to “stop undue influence of political parties in the judiciary.”

“We will not allow a courthouse that consists of some disgraced judges who face allegations of lewd conduct to abrogate the will of the people and disrupt the constitution,” the MDP said in a statement.

The Supreme Court yesterday accepted a case from the JP seeking to have the vote annulled.

The High Court in a separate case today has ordered the Elections Commission to allow the JP supervised access to the voter lists following claims dead people had registered to vote, and that the same people registered at different locations to vote.

Gasim’s Jumhooree Coalition, which includes the Islamist Adhaalath Party, polled 24.07 percent (50,422 votes) in the first round, but has, however, variously contended that he should have received between 10,000 to 30,000 more votes, and has disputed the result in the High Court, Supreme Court, at rallies, and on his television station – Villa TV – declaring that he should have placed first.

Meanwhile, the PPM has come out in support of the JP’s ‘Vote Rigged’ campaign at a press conference yesterday. PPM’s Abdulla Ameen said the party would accept a Supreme Court verdict regardless of the outcome.

The party will continue campaigning for the second round. “I call on people in the islands who supported others to join our movement. Your participation in this campaign, especially your support for PPM’s candidate will be encouragement for the work underway in the court process,” Ameen said.

Disgraced judge

Three videos apparently showing Judge Hamid engaging in sexual relations with foreign women were leaked on social media in July. According to Maldivian law, the crime of fornication is subject to 100 lashes and banishment or house arrest for a period of eight months.

Minivan News understands that one of the newly leaked videos, time-stamped January 24 2013, shows the judge fraternising with a topless woman with an eastern European accent. At one point, the judge appears to lean right into the camera, with his face visible.

Afterwards, the woman repeatedly encourages the judge to drink wine from a mini-bar.

“If I drink that I will be caught. I don’t want to be caught,” the judge insists, refusing.

The room and date stamp appears to be the same as that in previously leaked footage of Hameed meeting a local businessman Mohamed Saeed, the director of ‘Golden Lane’.

In that video, Hameed asserts that he was one of Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) Presidential Candidate’s Abdulla Yameen’s “back-ups”, and that his stand was “to do things the way Yameen wants”.

“Even [Speaker of Parliament] Abdulla Shahid will know very well that my stand is to do things the way Yameen wants. That the fall of this government was brought with our participation,” he appears to add, although the audio quality is poor.

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TV cables worth MVR 50,000 (US$3242) vandalised on Guraidhoo

A group of people have vandalised TV cables worth MVR 50,000 (US$3242) on the island of Guraidhoo in Kaafu Atoll.

An islander who spoke to Minivan News on condition of anonymity told Minivan News the TV cables were set up on the island by the Guraidhoo Youth NGO to provide foreign channels to the islanders. The source alleged the cables were vandalised after members of the NGO refused to comply with a PPM request to join them.

‘’The young people in the NGO are very neutral and they do not want to get involved in to any political activities,’’ he said. ‘’A few days ago they were asked to join the PPM and they refused to do so.’’

He said the NGO had tried to fix the damage but said it was beyond repair.

‘’Today the NGO president will come to the island and when he comes he will bring parts we need to repair it,’’ the source said.

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UN calls on all presidential candidates to accept election results

The UN Resident Coordinator in the Maldives, Tony Lisle, has issued a statement encouraging “all presidential candidates to respect the results” of the first round of presidential elections.

The statement, in line with those of all other observers on the September 7 polls including delegations from the Commonwealth, UK, India, Australia, Malaysia, US, EU, Japan and Thailand, follows a sustained campaign by third-placed candidate Gasim Ibrahim to annul the result.

Gasim’ Jumhooree Coalition, which includes the Islamist Adhaalath Party, polled 24.07 percent (50,422 votes) in the first round, narrowly missing out on a place in the run-off to second place Abdulla Yameen’s 25.35 percent

Gasim has, however, variously contended that he should have received between 10,000 to 30,000 more votes, and has disputed the result in the High Court, Supreme Court, at rallies, and on his television station – Villa TV – declaring that he should have placed first.

“God willing, it will be Gasim Ibrahim who will be the President of the Maldives on 11 November. Allah willing, do not doubt this. I tell you, do not doubt this,” he declared at a recent rally, to launch his “Vote Rigged!” campaign.

Early on Monday morning , police acting on a tip-off from the JP, barricaded streets around the Elections Commission and took its garbage into custody. The JP accused the commission of disposing of evidence, though police later reported that the rubbish contained nothing affecting the outcome of the polls.

Later the same day the Supreme Court accepted a case from the JP seeking to have the vote annulled.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) – which placed first with 45.45 percent of the vote – has issued a statement following an emergency meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee, asserting that the party would not allow the will of the people be abrogated or undone by “a court house consisting of some judges who have lost their integrity and face allegations of lewd conduct.”

“The National Executive Committee has decided today to request the party’s parliamentary group to take urgent measures, restart the People’s Majlis and resume sittings to stop the abuse and misuse of the judiciary by some political parties that are exerting undue influence on the judiciary without respecting the decision of the Maldivian people made by their vote,” the press release stated.

The UN Resident Coordinator meanwhile congratulated the people of the Maldives “on the peaceful and orderly conduct of the first round of voting”, stating that he looked forward “to a similarly peaceful and orderly second round of voting.”

The UN’s calls for candidates to respect the election results and ensure a peaceful transition were reiterated by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, and yesterday by UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs to the Permanent Representative of the Maldives in New York.

International statements

The 17 member Commonwealth delegation – one of the largest present during the election – issued an interim assessment the after polling that described the vote counting as “highly transparent with media monitors, party observers, and national and international observers able to scrutinise the process closely.”

“The count process was conducted in a consistently transparent manner, with officials observed by the group demonstrating willingness to repeat steps in the process in response to concerns expressed by party observers,” said the delegation’s head, former Prime Minister of Malta Dr Lawrence Gonzi.

The group described the voter register – contested by the JP – as “accurate and robust”.

“Fears expressed by some political parties regarding possible large numbers of deceased voters and voters registered in the wrong geographic area seem to be unfounded, based on the low incidence of election day complaints,” said Dr Gonzi.

Indian observers

Six teams of Indian observers, including four in and around Male, one on Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Feydhoo, Meedhoo and Hulhudhoo – in Seenu Atoll (Addu) in the south – and another on Kulhudhuffushi, Hanimadhoo, Dhidhoo and nearby islands in Haa Dhaalu and Haa Alifu Atolls in the north, covering 33.6 percent of all booths.

“The polling was orderly and unblemished by any notable incident. It was also an enjoyable experience for the voter,” stated J M Lyngdoh of the Indian observer team.

“The voters’ lists were accurate and prominently displayed. The ballot boxes were opened and closed as per the scheduled time. The discipline, patience and dignity of the voter and the sheer competence, industry and cheerfulness of the election staff were quite admirable. The police were ubiquitous but discreetly non-intrusive,” he said.

“The success in the first round is an achievement which any of the mature democracies would have been proud of. This was a transparent and fair election and there is no reason why the run off should be any less than the first round,” he concluded.

US statement

The US also congratulated the Maldives on the conduct of the first round of voting.

“The very high voter turnout showed the strong commitment of the people of Maldives to democratic government,” said US State Department Deputy Spokesperson, Marie Harf.

“As the country prepares for a second round of voting on September 28, we call on all parties to respect the democratic process and continue to allow for a free, fair and peaceful vote to take place. This is the second presidential election since Maldives embraced multi-party democracy in 2008, and thus represents a historic opportunity for Maldivians to select democratically the representative of their choice,” Harf said.

UK statement

The UK’s Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Alistair Burt, also praised the conduct of the election.

“Election observers, both domestic and international, have broadly agreed that the election was transparent and competitive. The UK’s election observers were also pleased to see that proceedings ran smoothly, and that the atmosphere was one of excitement and anticipation,” Burt stated.

“The exceptionally high turnout – estimated to be around 88 percent – demonstrates a significant public enthusiasm and support for democracy in Maldives. I hope political parties will honour this democratic engagement by working together in order to further consolidate democratic institutions in Maldives,” he stated.

“I hope that the second round of elections on 28 September, and the transition to post-electoral politics, will also be free, fair and credible,” Burt concluded.

Local NGO Transparency Maldives – which ran the most comprehensive observation operation on the day – announced prior to the release of the provisional results that none of the incidents reported on election day would have a “material impact on the outcome of the election”.

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“God Willing, Gasim will be President on November 11”: Gasim

This article was first published on Dhivehi Sitee. Republished with permission.

On the evening of September 9, two days after Maldivians voted in the country’s second democratic elections in which Mohamed Nasheed emerged with a resounding victory, Gasim Ibrahim’s Jumhooree Coalition launched a series of rallies under the name ‘Rigged Vote! Rigged Vote!’. Together with its ally, the radical ‘religious’ Adhaalath Party, the Jumhooree Coalition has been claiming that at least 20,000 additional votes were cast on 7 September. This is the second in Dhivehi Sitee’s English translations of speeches at the ‘Rigged Vote! Rigged Vote’ launch rally. Today, extracts from the speech by leader of Jumhooree Party, Gasim Ibrahim:

Yes, we know without a doubt that the number of votes we got in the provisional results announced by the Elections Commission is not the amount of votes people gave us. I understand very clearly that more than 70,000 Maldivians voted for us. We will never forgive, never forgive, this major crime committed by the Elections Commission. Will never forgive, okay?

It is not 50,000 votes that I got from Maldivians. I know this because how were dead people voted for, those votes counted and included in the list? When there are such huge responsibilities to be assigned and when such big changes are made, I must say the people responsible must hurry to deliver the right. They must hurry. We don’t appoint people to positions so they can say this is a power in our hands and harass and badger.

I am saying it very clearly, we have no doubt that the High Court and the Supreme Court, too, will deliver us our right. Yes, in ‘critical moments’ like this, my appeal to the courts is to hurry up. See it as a right and give us a judgement fast. I have no doubt these courts will rule this way. That is, the courts will see this as a right and come to that decision fast. I don’t believe that at a time like this, when the entire peoples’ future rests and builds on this that such things should get stuck. I don’t believe that something like this should be open to influence or power from outsiders.

What I want to say is, the MNDF and or police and army of the national security force must give the protection they must give to our judges. Especially in a moment like this, when their protection and security is of such importance, I beg the president of the Maldives. I ask for the protection of those people [judges].

Yes, even in a short period of about eight hours, we have found about 800 dead people. We can check this out properly when we get the voters lists from the polling stations. We are certain that about 20,000 votes have been cast against the law and procedures. That is why the results show we have less votes than we got. I don’t know whether the votes we got have been rigged and moved from this side to that side.

What is certain is that it is not 50,000 votes that we got. I believe the result should have more than 70,000 votes. Those are people who joined us and supported us. These people are sobbing in all corners of the country, shedding tears of pain and crying: ‘this is not the reality, so many crimes have been committed. We saw people, dressed in a particular colour, closing up the cote boxes with shaking hands.”Yes, I am telling you about Laamu Atoll. A person monitoring near one of our vote boxes there told me s/he saw a person wearing a yellow shirt closing a box in this state.

We are leading. We are leading. When you minus that 90,000 votes [received by MDP], we are the leaders. Yes, when you subtract 20,000 from those 90,000, I believe it is us who are in the lead.

We know it is our vote that was changed. I am telling you what I believe. I am telling you what I believe. Maldivians, have courage. I am ready to make any sacrifice with my body and my money to bring you Maldivians a happy and prosperous life. We will not give in to anyone. This talk of me hospitalised for a heart attack — these are all blatant lies to dishearten you. This talk of me endorsing this person or endorsing that person. We will endorse when we have to endorse. But today we don’t have to endorse. There is nobody we will endorse. God willing, it is others who will have to endorse us. We don’t have to endorse anyone. We are not in such a position yet.

Even if you have to vote twice or thrice, I tell you, don’t hesitate. Do as we say. Like Imran said, we will tell you what the most right, most sincere decision is for the sake of this nation, this land. When we tell you this decision, I call on you to double the support you have for us and decide to work with us.

God willing, it will be Gasim Ibrahim who will be the President of the Maldives on 11 November. Allah willing, do not doubt this. I tell you, do not doubt this.

Ask Allah for strength. Pray to Allah. Get strength from Allah and pray. That then is how Allah will decide things. There is no other calculation than this [Allah’s]. What I am telling you is the Right. Even if some people are deceiving you, the Right will win, Allah willing. Allah has guaranteed victory for the Righteous. Reminding you of this will give you Maldivian citizens strength and good thinking. I am ending this with the prayer that God will give you the ability to think right.

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Police search six houses as part of special operation conducted in Addu

Police have searched six houses on Hithadhoo in Addu City as part of a special operation conducted by the police Special Operations (SO) team based in Addu for elections security.

A police spokesperson would not confirm whether anybody was arrested during the raids.

However, Police South Division Commander, Chief Inspector Ahmed Shifan, told local news outlet Sun Online that police had confiscated hard disks and related items from some of the houses.

Shifan also told the paper that the houses were searched in bid to clarify certain information required for a case police were investigating, and that all the houses were searched after obtaining a court warrant.

He declined to provide further information.

Police had previously searched the premises of a house owned by a senior activist of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on the island of Kulhudhufushi in Haa Dhaalu Atoll, who was arrested on allegations that he had printed ballot papers. Police also confiscated the internal hard disk of his computer.

An island council source on Kulhudhufushi at the time told Minivan News that the party was alleged to have printed oversize, laminated versions of the ballot paper to demonstrate to people how to vote.

The MDP issued a statement saying the party had sent a letter to Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz asking him to return the hard disk back to the MDP, as it contained important material related to the MDP presidential election campaign.

On June 24, police decided to station Special Operations (SO) officers in Addu to work with the Thinadhoo police station and establish “peace and security” for the election.

On February 7, 2012, SO officers among others instigated a violent mutiny, assaulted government supporters, ransacked the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Haruge (meeting hall), staged a protest at the Republic Square demanding the resignation of then-President Mohamed Nasheed, clashed with soldiers and stormed the national broadcaster in the hours immediately preceding Nasheed’s controversial resignation.

Moreover, on February 8, 2012 SO officers brutally beat supporters of the deposed MDP during a heavy-handed crackdown of a protest march led by Nasheed, who had announced that his resignation the previous day was made “under duress.”

Mayor of Addu City Abdulla ‘Soabe’ Sodiq did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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