Month: September 2013

Maldives must address “deteriorated” tourist services to protect industry: Chamber of Commerce

The Maldives National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) has warned that the “deteriorated” and “outdated” amenities used to support the Maldives’ lucrative resort industry will negatively impact growth across the tourism sector, if left unaddressed.

MNCCI Vice President Ismail Asif told Minivan News that despite the “seven star” reputation of the country’s exclusive island resorts, the group was receiving growing complaints that the service, amenities and treatment afforded to guests by the country’s public and private sector threatened to significantly damage the destination’s reputation.

The comments were raised after several multinational hospitality groups alleged earlier this month that the sale of the Maldives’ two main seaplane operators to US-based private equity fund Blackstone in February was having a “significant” negative impact on the wider tourism industry as a result of the monopoly created.

MNCCI Vice President Asif told Minivan News that the chamber had not received any “particular concerns” related to the Blackstone deal, but had instead noted growing criticisms of standards of service from state and private institutions vital to the country’s resort industry.

“We have had e-mails from foreign investors and business people about the general service and standards at the country’s airport as well as the quality of transportation [available to tourists],” he said. “We are not able to distinguish [whether the complaints] are about seaplanes or speedboats.

Airport condition

Asif also identified the current condition of Ibarahim Nasir International Airport (INIA), a general lack of amenities, and the attitude of customs and immigration officials towards foreigners visiting the country as major concerns needing to be addressed by the wider industry.

Late last year, the present government controversially scrapped a US$511 million contract signed under the previous administration with India-based infrastructure group GMR to develop and manage an entirely new airport terminal.

The state is subsequently facing a US$1.4 billion compensation claim from GMR for its decision to terminate the contract over allegations of corruption, claims ultimately rejected by the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The MNCCI has nonetheless maintained that the government’s decision to abruptly terminate the GMR contract did not hurt foreign investor confidence, with Asif claiming that the existing airport structure could be modified to improve service standards. With the eviction of GMR construction of the new terminal is stalled at 25 percent complete, according to the government’s own engineering assessment.

“Foreign businesses don’t want to get into politics here. In the meetings we have had there are two major concerns raised. Internationals want the Maldives to remain as it is. The feedback we get is they want the airport as it is, but with improved services,” he said. “This doesn’t mean a new five story building is needed. For instance free wifi is not [at the airport at present]. Certainly not at the standards visitors would expect.”

Criticisms had also been raised over the conduct of customs officials and regulations banning tourists from bringing alcohol into the country to consume on the country’s resorts, according to the MNCCI.  Asif claimed there was minimal information provided to visitors about restrictions on alcohol and pork products outside of resorts.

“Expensive wine is often confiscated from guests, who are not getting it back. I understand visitors must act within local laws, but it is also important to correctly inform them as well,” he said. “Often these are very expensive gifts given to people while they are travelling, and I don’t see why they cannot bring such items to their resort.”

“It’s not like tourists will bring large amounts of liquor with them. Often the value of the goods they are holding is high, but a customs person will have no idea of the goods or the culture. Their response is ‘liquor is prohibited here’,” he claimed, accusing police and other state authorities of favouring restrictive laws on tourists to reduce their own levels of responsibility.

Asif argued that all national bodies needed to take greater responsibility to ensure treatment of tourists matched the services being provided by the resort industry.

“If it is too much hassle for tourists to visit, people will not come here [on holiday] and will look to other destinations,” he said. “Tourism is is based around trying to make clients happy. We are concerned about this and the need to make things easier here.”

Stability concerns

The MNCCI has also stressed the need for political stability, the lack of which he had alleged has had a considerable impact on investor confidence and business development since the controversial transfer of power on February 7, 2012.

With a run-off vote scheduled for September 28 expected to decide whether former President Mohamed Nasheed or MP Abdulla Yameen will take office over the next five years, Asif said it was important to have an elected and head of state – no matter the candidate.

He argued that a Commonwealth-backed Commission of National Inquiry (CoNI) last year dismissed Nasheed’s allegations that he was removed from office in a “coup d’etat” had led to an increase of larger-scale investment – particularly with resorts.

However, with a number of properties remaining under construction, stability within the country’s domestic politics and court system was a huge problem needing to be addressed, he said.

Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb was not responding to calls at time of press in response to the MNCCI’s concerns.

Meanwhile, 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.

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High Court holds first hearing of Jumhooree Party’s case against Election Commission

The High Court has held the first hearing of the case filed by the Jumhooree Party (JP) against the Elections Commission (EC) over alleged discrepancies and irregularities, requesting that the court order the commission to hand over the voters list.

Prior to the commencement of the hearing today (September 15), attorneys representing both the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) had intervened in the case.

In arguing their case, the attorneys representing the JP claimed that, despite having raised issues concerning the discrepancies within the voter list, the EC had refused to hand over the list to the party so it could verify the issues.

To support their case, the JP produced three documents – each document consisting of lists of alleged fraudulent votes.

The first document was a list of 568 people that, according to the party, had died before the elections but whose names were still present on the voter list. Of the 568 in the JP’s list, 144 people had passed away on January 1 at exactly 12:00am.

The second document was a list of 172 people, which the JP claimed had their names repeated twice on the voter list.

The third document, the party claimed, was a list of people who were originally on Male’ Municipality’s Special Register – a special registry of people belonging to Male but not having their own houses in Male – but who had been registered to different houses in Male’ without the permission of the house owners.

The party claimed that the evidence it had gathered regarding the first round of presidential election suggested serious wrongdoings that undermined the credibility of the election.

The JP pleaded at the court to issue the mandatory order required by the law – to release the voter list which the party has been seeking.

EC lawyer’s response

In response to the JP’s argument, the lead attorney representing the EC’s legal team – veteran lawyer and former Attorney General Husnu Al Suood – contended that the entire lawsuit filed against the EC lacked any legal grounds to back its claim.

Suood went on to claim that the JP had filed the case like that of a “fishing expedition”, hoping to file another lawsuit based on any evidence they collected from the current case.

The former Attorney General claimed the reason the law explicitly stated that the voter list can only be issued through a court order was to protect private information of the voters such as their date of birth, the place they had voted, and whether they actually had gone to vote or not.

Suood further claimed that any order from the High Court to issue the voter list must be based on very strong evidence supporting the release of the document. If not, he claimed, the list would otherwise be used to manipulate the outcome of the upcoming elections including that of the run-off election.

Through the voter list, a political party can easily identify a specific voter and those who had not turned up for voting, meaning that the list could easily be used for unlawful activities, Suood argued.

Responding to the first document the JP produced as evidence, Suood questioned the authenticity of the list, raising questions over how the names of 144 people who had died in the 19th century were present on the voter list of the 2013 elections. He also challenged the JP to reveal the source of the information it had presented to the court.

Of the 568 registered people whom the JP alleged to have died, Suood claimed that seven people were found on the original voter list, of which four were actually alive. The status of the three remaining identities are currently being verified stage, said Suood.

In response to the second document, Suood said that when the EC had verified the allegedly repeated 172 names in the list, each name had a different national identification number or date of birth, meaning that the supposedly repeated names were simply different people.

Responding to the final document, Suood claimed that the voters had been registered under their current addresses to allow them easy access to vote. He added that the EC had intended to ensure that all those eligible to vote would be able to do so.

In summary, Suood pleaded the court not to issue any order based on simple claims and doubts, but rather based on substantial evidence, which he claimed the JP had failed to produce.

The PPM meanwhile during the hearing spoke in favor of the JP, alleging that the EC had been “negligent”. The PPM’s lawyer Adam Zaneen requested the court to issue an order on EC to issue the voter list, and send the PPM a copy.

The MDP echoed similar remarks to Suood, claiming that the JP had failed to produce any substantial documentary evidence to support its claim. The party also suggested the JP had failed to follow due procedure and had not complained to the EC regarding the list.

Concluding the hearing,the presiding panel of judges said that the court would hold the next hearing very soon during which it would decide the case.

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Elections Commission announces final first round election results

The Elections Commission (EC) has announced the final results from the first round of the presidential election held September 7.

The EC announced the results yesterday (September 14) after the High Court rejected the Jumhooree Party’s (JP) request for an injunction to halt the announcement.

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate and former President Mohamed Nasheed placed first, winning 95,224 votes, or 45.45 percent.

Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) candidate Abdulla Yameen – an MP and half-brother of former autocratic President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom – received 25.35 percent,or 53,099 votes, to place second.

While the EC’s final results page showed these figures – identical to those released preliminarily on September 8 – local media outlet Sun Online reported that Yameen had received 54,099 votes – a discrepancy of 1,000 votes.

Gasim Ibrahim – resort tycoon, owner of Villa TV (VTV), MP, and JP leader – placed a close third at 24.07 percent, with 50,422 votes.

Gasim and his Jumhooree ‘Gulhun’ (coalition) – consisting of the Islamist Adhaalath Party (AP), the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), as well as former PPM Vice President Umar Naseer – have contested the election results and are seeking a recount through the High Court and Supreme Court, in addition to staging protests accusing the EC of negligence and vote rigging.

Incumbent President Dr Mohamed Waheed suffered a resounding defeat, securing 5.13 percent or 10,750 votes. Waheed contested the election as an independent candidate, following controversy over whether his Gaumee Ithihaad Party (GIP) had the minimum 10,000 members required under new political party regulation.

Yesterday Waheed announced GIP will support the PPM in the presidential election run-off, although he will be stepping down as head of the party.

The announcement of the GIP backing the PPM comes days after the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) announced its support for Nasheed and the MDP during the second round of voting. The DRP had backed Waheed in the first round vote, with party leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali standing as the incumbent’s running mate.

Since no candidate received more than 50 percent of the total turnout, a second round run-off election between the top two candidates – Nasheed and Yameen – will be held on September 28.

Dead voters found alive

The EC also announced that eight deceased individuals the JP had claimed to be on the electoral register had been found alive.

The JP had submitted the alleged list of deceased individuals to court, according to local media.

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

Fayaz told local media last week that the EC had previously rejected a voter list provided by the Department of National Registration prior to polling because it listed people who are still alive as deceased.

“They give us a list, [stating that] these 1,200 people are dead. If we deduct these 1,200 people [from the voter registry] without reviewing, an extra 400 people will come to vote,” said Fayaz.

However, the Jumhooree Party has now accused the EC Vice Chair of “outright lies”, claiming that the coalition did not submit a list of eight supposedly deceased individuals included in the electoral register to the EC.

“We call on Fayaz not to engage in such lies. We ask the EC to work independently,” said Ibraim Khaleel, Gasim’s spokesperson and former Villa TV chief executive officer.

No grounds for recount

Meanwhile, in response to representatives from the JP, the PPM, and President Waheed calling for a recount of all ballot boxes during an Elections National Advisory Committee meeting held Thursday (September 12), the EC stated that the alleged vote 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 to local media.

MDP’s representative on the National Advisory Committee insisted there were no grounds to warrant a vote recount and argued that the JP noted no issues during polling.

President Waheed has said he is “very concerned” about “some very serious allegations regarding the election” and urged these issues be resolved “by the respective legal and judicial venues”.

However, EC Chair Fuwad Thowfeek has emphatically dismissed the JP’s allegations of rampant vote-rigging, pointing to the commission’s transparency, ongoing complaints investigations, and the praise from a broad spectrum of election observers who noted peaceful voting throughout the day and the preparedness of the EC.

Local NGO Transparency Maldives – which ran the most comprehensive observation operation on the day – also 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”.

The UK and the EU have both issued statements praising the conduct of Saturday’s presidential election, describing them as “transparent and competitive”.

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MDP MP Ali Waheed summoned to police

Police have summoned Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Deputy Leader of Parliamentary Group and MP Ali Waheed for questioning over a corruption case involving his mother bought a house in Hulhumale’ for MVR7.9 million.

Both police, and Ali Waheed himself, confirmed with local media that he was summoned to police last night (14 September) but police declined to provide further information.

Ali Waheed has told the local newspapers that he had not been insincere to the money of citizens and he denied the allegations against him.

On February 20, 2013, police declared they were investigating a corruption case involving Ali Waheed in which his mother purchased a land in Male’ for MVR 7.938 million (US$514,000) in October 2011.

At the time, President of the ACC Hassan Luthfee confirmed the institution was also investigating a case concerning the Thoddoo MP.

“We have earlier received complaints regarding the MP taking bribes following his defection from the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) to the MDP. There were also claims that he utilised the money he received as bribes to buy a house. We are investigating the matter,” Luthfee said.

In May 2011, Ali Waheed switched sides from DRP to MDP claiming a lack of internal democracy within his former party.

In August 2011, Ali Waheed won a beachfront house for MVR4.6 million (US$300,000), bidding MVR3,020 per square foot. At the same time, Ali Waheed’s wife also won a house from the 36 beachfront residential plots on Hulhumale, bidding Rf 3,020 per square foot, for Rf 4,749,651 (US$310,000).

Waheed and his wife were the third highest bidders for the property, under the Hulhulmale Development Corporation’s (HDC) housing programme.

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Court extends detention of two arrested for printing ballot papers

The Criminal Court has extended the detention period of two persons arrested for allegedly printing ballot papers in Kulhudhufushi.

According to local newspapers, the two suspects were brought to Male’ when the Kulhudhufushi Magistrate Court extended their detention period to three days.

They were taken to the Criminal Court last night (14 September) as the three day period was about to expire.

At the time of the arrest on September 12 , an island council member of Kulhudhufushi, who spoke to Minivan News on condition of anonymity, said the printed ballot papers in question were bigger than the actual ballot papers and were also laminated.

“I heard they were printed by some pro-Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters to make people aware of what the ballot papers would look like,” he said.

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Guraidhoo Island Council stops ballot boxes inside schools citing “too much black magic”

The Guraidhoo Island Council has passed a motion against keeping any ballot boxes inside schools on the island after islanders complained about “too much black magic”, the President of the Island Council Hussain Yameen Mohamed has said.

Speaking to Minivan News today, Yameen said that the council have been receiving a lot of complaints from parents and local islanders regarding the issue.

“This time two parents and one man and a woman were affected by the black magic and had to be treated,’’ he said. “The islanders and parents are concerned that if the ballot boxes are kept inside the schools, the black magicians will target the schools and students will be affected.”

Yameen said that the council and the Elections Commission will discuss and decide upon a place to keep the ballot boxes for the second round of presidential election.

“Friday night there was unrest on this island where Maldivian Democratic Party [MDP] supporters confronted the police,’’ he said. “The MDP supporters thought that two spiritual healers on the island were casting spells on the island school and confronted them and police went to the area.”

He said that one person was arrested on charges of attacking a police officer at the scene but have been released now.

“The island council will try its best to make sure that the ballot boxes are not placed in any of the schools,” he added.

Voters on Guraidhoo were reported to have queued for over 17 hours in order to stand on the location of a black magic coconut, ensuring that all voters would choose the same candidate as the first in line.

Multiple reports of ‘fanditha’ (magic) have accompanied the election, ranging from cursed coconuts and witches to black magic dolls.

It was reported on social media today that police on Velidhoo Island, Noonu Atoll, were taking down MDP flags, alleging they had black magic symbols on them.

Minivan News has also learned of individuals in Male’ attempting to purchase conch shells – revered for their alleged magical properties – for large sums of money.

Spells and accusations cast

A MDP supporter on Guraidhoo, who spoke to Minivan News on condition of anonymity, said that the spiritual healers on the island were supporters of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the MDP supporters went against him when they saw him spilling water around the island school.

“The MDP supporters tried to stop him and the police came and tried to stop the MDP supporters, and then there was a little confrontation between the police and MDP supporters,” he said.

He said that the spiritual healers had left the island the same night.

However, Yameen told Minivan News that the spiritual healers were on the island for a completely unrelated purpose.

“They were here to take pictures of some Quran books that were buried on the beach,” he said.

On September 4, Guraidhoo police station summoned a white magic practitioner to evaluate a young coconut believed to have been cursed by a black magic spell, after it was found near the Guraidhoo school, where the presidential election polling was set up.

In July this year, a Guraidhoo islander said parents of the island have been refusing – and raising their voices against – keeping ballot boxes inside island schools because black magicians were casting spells on the school for election and later it affects the students.

“After the local council election,  the school students started fainting inside the classrooms and this became a huge issue,” the islander told Minivan News at the time. “The parents knew this was related to something like this and called in a group of spiritual healers.’’

He said the spiritual healers forced the spirits to talk to them through the body of the possessed students, who told the healers that they were unable to leave the students as long as the products of sorcery remained inside the school grounds. The spirits reportedly told the healers the exact locations where the sorceress had placed the spells.

Last week, a police team were sent to search for black magic practitioners on Thakandhoo Island in Haa Alif Atoll after MDP supporters were accused of being responsible for the possession of four local children by evil spirits.

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Blood and money: stabbing attack follows campaign deal gone wrong

Maldivians across the atolls were glued to state broadcaster Television Maldives (TVM) one week ago, awaiting the results of the country’s second multi-party presidential election.

As counting from the 470 ballot boxes continued throughout the evening, live updates were accompanied by news bulletins keeping all up to date on this historic event – even the deaf.

Members of the Maldives’ deaf community were glued to the bottom corner of their television screen, where Shaheez Abdulla communicated in sign language for those with impaired hearing.

What was not communicated through Shaheez’s hands that day was the intense pain still coursing through his legs, his arm, and his back – the result of a stabbing just 72 hours earlier that he alleges was linked to one political party’s election preparations.

I met Shaheez on the roof of his building. On my way up to the terrace, traces of blood were still visible outside the lift where three youths attacked him the Wednesday (September 4) before the election. The first witnesses to the scene describe a bloodied but furious Shaheez, keen to expose those he sees as responsible for his assault.

He sits awkwardly, shifting in his seat – his determination to expose his wrongdoers unabated.

“They tried to kill me, but they could not. I am not afraid – for the truth, I will do anything,” he said.

Learning to interpret

Eight years ago Shaheez worked in one of Male’s CD/DVD shops and – like many Maldivians – dreamed of travelling abroad to study. Eventually however it was his interactions with the deaf customers he encountered that would decide the direction of his career – in particular, meeting his future-wife, Adhila.

Having admired her from afar, it was only when Shaheez plucked up the nerve to approach her that he realised she too was deaf.

“I finally approached her and tried to talk to her, but she didn’t respond – finally, a woman came over and said to me, ‘Don’t you know she’s deaf?’ I was shocked,” Shaheez explained.

This marked the point at which Shaheez began to learn sign language, leading to eventual fluency in British, Arabic and international signing, as well as the more unusual Dhivehi dialect. He also got married to Adhila and they now have two children.

Shaheez soon became one of the first deaf interpreters in the Maldives and today offers interpretation assistance in the courts, hospitals, and even trains members of the police force to sign. Shaheez regularly lectures at the Education Development Centre, and is contracted by the Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) to provide interpretation services on TVM.

During our interview, Shaheez proudly shows Minivan News the registration certificate for his new project – the Maldives Disabled Federation – which will act as an umbrella organisation for the country’s separate disability civil society groups.

Shaheez’s tireless activity across Maldivian civil society  – working on many different disability related projects – could have been halted on September 4, however, as his work became tangled with the country’s internecine politics.

Warning signs

The events leading to the attack began around one month prior to the elections, when Shaheez says he was contacted by the Jumhoree Party (JP) about potential projects for disabled people. Full of ideas, and never without a sheaf of papers outlining his many projects, Shaheez was able to produce proposals for a number of schemes at the very first meeting.

“I told them I can help, but I can’t be a political tool,” he recalled. “There are so many projects that need doing.”

Two days after this initial meeting, Shaheez claimed that a JP member gave him just under MVR 300,000 (US$1,948) for three projects – including an instructive video to help deaf people learn the Salaath prayer, the creation of a Dhivehi sign-language dictionary, and the development of a sign-language font.

A call on speakerphone to a JP member during the interview confirmed that the party had given this cash to Shaheez. He was also able to show paperwork outlining the agreed projects and their cost, as well as a contract which agreed the projects would be launched by JP leader, Gasim Ibrahim.

However, Shaheez claimed the relationship started to go sour when he was given two day’s notice to prepare for the official launch of the projects.

“After I told them the launch could not be done in that time, they asked for all of the money back,” Shaheez recalled, despite much of the work having already been carried out.

“I said I would give the money back, but that I would also then do anti-campaigning against Gasim.”

It was on his way home from this meeting on September 3 that Shaheez says two young men on a motorbike threatened him.

“They said ‘Don’t even dare do anti-campaigning – if you do, you’d better watch out’, ” he alleged.

The following day, on his way to return to the cash – moments after arranging to meet with a JP member over the phone – Shaheez was confronted by his attackers on the way out of his building. After demanding Shaheez’s bag – containing the JP’s money – the youths attacked, taking the bag with the money inside.

Shaheez was keen to point out that his blame for the attack was not aimed at Gasim himself, noting that the leader’s close associates had warned Shaheez not to return the money to anyone other than them.

Response to threats

Minivan News was unable to obtain a response from the JP member named by Shaheez as the person responsible for his attack, and so his name has been left out of this account. Another senior party member, cited as being involved in the initial agreement, has denied all knowledge of any projects involving the JP and disabled organisations.

Shaheez is aware of rumours that he had stolen the party’s money himself, but rejected these accusations, citing his lack of a criminal record.

“I know who I am and God knows who I am,” he says.

Asked whether he was intimidated by the threats, he said that this was not the first time this tactic had been used, as he seeks to expose the persistent abuse of disabled people in the Maldives. He recalled one shocking example of such abuse he encountered when conducting surveys in Haa Daalu Atoll.

“There was one lady everyone said was mad. When I spoke with her, I found that she was just deaf. But the men in the island had already been abusing her – she had seven or eight children with unknown fathers. Men had used her, raped her, and even drugged her.”

“I will hold a big event one day and all these abuse cases will be publicised,” he vowed.

When asked about the difficulty of interpreting for the election coverage so soon after his ordeal, Shaheez remained defiant.

“I don’t care if both legs are stabbed, if even one of my hands can move I will interpret for the deaf until my last breath.”

Video taken by a bystander following Shaheez’s stabbing on September 4:

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National Security Committee investigating local media spreading JP’s claims against Elections Commission

Parliament’s National Security Committee summoned the Elections Commission (EC), the Maldives Police Service (MPS), the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), and the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) to appear for questioning today in regard to its investigation into an EC case filed against the Jumhoree Party (JP).

An EC letter requesting the National Security Committee provide the commission an opportunity to share their concerns about local media spreading JP’s “baseless and unfounded” claims, was presented yesterday (September 13) by committee chairperson MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik and unanimously approved, according to local media.

“The National Security Committee is concerned that the [presidential] contestants unfounded claims of corruption against the EC are a threat to national security,” Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP and Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor told Minivan News today.

MBC has been summoned to the parliamentary committee for allegations that Villa TV (VTV) – owned by resort tycoon and JP presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim – was spreading information to incite hatred against the EC, while the MPS and MNDF will be questioned to determine whether current events pose a threat to national security, according to Sun Online.

Meanwhile, MBC has launched an investigation into VTV broadcasting unsubstantiated content in violation of the broadcasting code of practice. The commission stated that it was investigating the matter after a case was filed by a private individual, according to local media.

VTV has been continuously broadcasting the live program ‘Olhuvaalee Vote Ge Namugai’ (‘fraud in the name of the vote’) as well as reports against the EC and MDP ever since Gasim placed third in the first round of the presidential election with 24.07 percent, a total of 50,422 votes, reports CNM.

Asked about the confusion over the voting figures in the media not matching those of the EC during counting, Elections Commission Vice Chair Ahmed Fayaz criticised local media’s role in the matter.

“Politicians and newspapers have reported this [10,000 votes issue]”, he said, singling out the online publication Times.mv for particular criticism.

Meanwhile, during an elections National Advisory Committee meeting held Thursday (September 12), the JP, along with representatives of the PPM and President Mohamed Waheed, agreed they all want a vote recount of all ballot boxes conducted.

However, the MDP’s representative on the Advisory Committee insisted there were no grounds to warrant a vote recount and accused JP of not noting any issues during polling.

“It’s a matter of principle – this was a democratic election held under a democratic system. All parties were given an opportunity to send observers and monitors, and their observations [of the voting and counting process] were done in front of the people, as per the law,” said Ghafoor.

“This was an elaborate, laborious process with each count confirmed and then exhibited at each voting centre,” he continued.

“A recount would set a bad precedent that is not in the national interest. It would create a loss of faith in the system,” he emphasised.

Ghafoor noted that international observers have praised the transparency of the election process, including four former Election Commissioners hailing from India and the Commonwealth.

“The EC is one of the [only] effective, independent commissions we have. It has a very clean track record, which everyone knows,” declared Ghafoor. “An elaborately developed legal process [for elections] has been in place since 2008, there have been at least 11 by-elections conducted to date and none of them have been contested.”

He noted that the election results are being contested “by people like Gasim Ibrahim, who are from a culture that has rigged votes all their lives.”

Meanwhile, Elections Commission Vice Chair Ahmed Fayaz told local media the JP had requested a recount without any legal basis. He noted that if all the ballot box seals were broken for a recount, this could create election confidence issues and set a dangerous precedent for future elections. He proposed recounting boxes randomly as an alternative.

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Jumhooree Party to call on Supreme Court to annul first round results

The Jumhoree Party (JP) has declared that it intends to ask the Supreme Court to annul the results of last week’s presidential election, in which it narrowly missing placing in the run-off vote scheduled for September 28.

The JP’s presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim, who placed third 24.07 percent of the vote, last week announced that he believed he “should have placed first“, and disputed the credibility of the results.

The Elections Commission (EC) has dismissed the allegations, pointing to near unanimous agreement among local and international election observers that the elections were free, fair and credible, and that the minor issues noted would not have had an impact on the final results.

However JP Policy Secretary Mohamed Ajmal told Minivan News the party would attempt to prove via the courts that the first round had been “rigged”.

As part of these efforts, he said that the JP would be submitting a “motion” to the Supreme Court on Sunday September 15 seeking to annul the vote, alleging discrepancies and irregularities during polling.

The party has already filed a case at the High Court – on the second attempt, after the first case was rejected – demanding the release of the ballot papers.

“We believe the High Court is delaying this process, and this is something we do not want to see,” Ajmal said, alleging this was in violation of “national regulations”.

Ajmal said the motion would give a “high priority” to its grievances, with the second round of voting just two weeks away.

Gasim and the Supreme Court

Until July 2013 and his official acceptance as a presidential candidate, Gasim was a member of the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) – the watchdog body tasked with appointing and disciplining the judiciary, including the Supreme Court.

Earlier that same month he declared that a leaked video depicting Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed fornicating with an unidentified foreign woman in a Colombo hotel room was “a fake”.

Days later, two more videos of the judge engaging in sexual relations with foreign women were leaked on social media.

According to Maldivian law, the crime of fornication is subject to 100 lashes and banishment or house arrest for a period of eight months, a sentence regularly and overwhelmingly given to women found guilty of extramarital sex.

A fourth video showed the judge in conversation with a local businessman discussing the politicisation of the judiciary.

Gasim however voted against the recommendation of the JSC’s own subcommittee that Hameed be suspended pending further investigation. The judge remains on the bench.

He claims feuds between politicians were being settled through the court even though these did not involve the law or any legal issues.

Reactions

The Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) has expressed concern at the way the results of the September 7 elections have been received by “some parties”, urging them “to act in the spirit of democracy and fair play by seeking solutions to grievances through due process and recourse to lawful means.”

“The principles of democracy prohibit threats, intimidation and harassment of each other and such behaviour has no place in a civilised society. MDN further expects that the judiciary will attend to elections-related petitions independently, efficiently and without discrimination,” the NGO stated.

President Mohamed Waheed, who received 5.13 percent of the vote in the first round and today announced that he would be supporting PPM candidate Abdulla Yameen in the run-off, declared that some allegations regarding the election were “worryingly serious”.

“I think it is paramount that these allegations be addressed within the designated legal framework, and justice be served,” President Waheed said in a statement reported by local media.

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Spokesperson MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor noted the irony that the country’s prior “culture of corruption, vote rigging, and coup d’etat” had been led by the same individuals who were now contesting the legitimacy of the election results.

“These are the same people who lobbied the Supreme Court to get more direct powers for the police and security forces, and thereby a controlling stake in the elections process,” he said.

“It would be unimaginable for the courts to rule against something that the international observers have endorsed. If they agree to a recount that would be going against the international community,” Ghafoor said.

Elections Commission Fuwad Thowfeek has emphatically dismissed the JP’s allegations of rampant vote-rigging, pointing to the commission’s transparency, ongoing complaints investigations, and praise from a broad spectrum of election observers.

“The allegations by the Jumhoree Party are wasting our time actually. They don’t understand democracy or how to accept defeat, it’s a very unfortunate thing,” EC Chair Fuwad Thowfeek told Minivan News last week.

“People who cannot accept defeat should not face an election,” he continued. “It’s a contest so there’s a chance they will win or lose. In this case there were four contestants and only two could advance to the second round. Gasim Ibrahim doesn’t understand [this] and his followers are making a fool out of him,” he contended.

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