Day: October 21, 2013

Man commits suicide inside Jumhooree Party campaign office

Police have this morning discovered the dead body of a Maldivian man inside Jumhooree Party (JP) campaign office on Lonuziyarai Magu next to Ameer Ahmed School in Henveiru.

People gathered in the area as police searched the place for objects related to the incident, telling local newspapers that the body was discovered this morning at about 8:30am.

According to people living in the area it was the body of a 27 year-old man.

The JP office in Lonuziyarai Magu was opened before the first round of presidential elections held in September since it closed for the elections first round no political activities have been carried out in the place.

The campaign office, which has no roof or door and is open for anyone to enter, was used by drug addicts living in the area after the JP stopped conducting political activities in the area, according to local newspapers.

The police spokesperson did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

However, police have told the local newspaper that the case was reported to police by the girlfriend of the man this morning at 8:30am and that his girlfriend told the police that he had recently told her that he would commit suicide.

Local newspapers also reported that the police had arrested his girlfriend.

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Five arrested for obstruction, as police clear sit down protests

Police have arrested five men for allegedly obstructing police while they were trying to open to the roads closed by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters in protest over the cancellation of presidential elections by police on Saturday.

In a statement police said they had opened all the roads that were closed by the MDP.

Police said that they had previously warned people who closed the roads to refrain from acting in a way that would disrupt transportation and people who walked on the roads.

Police noted that in some of the areas people were cooperative and removed the things they had used to block the roads after being warned.

However, police said people gathered on Majeedhee Magu in between Alikileygefaanu Magu and Chandhanee Magu did not listen to police warnings to open the roads, and that they had to forcibly open the road.

Two of the five were arrested on charges of obstructing police duty and objecting to police order, while another was arrested for hitting a police officer with a stone. Another was arrested for threatening police.

According to police, the officer who was hit by a stone was admitted to the hospital after receiving injuries to his leg. He has since been discharged.

MDP protesters started gathering on Majeedhee Magu near the Male’ City Hall building after the second attempt by the Elections Commission (EC) to hold presidential elections was obstructed by police on Saturday.

The first round of the presidential election, held on 7 September, was invalidated by the Supreme Court based on a report made by the police. The was filed submitted by the JP, with the court subsequently ordering that the first round be re-held before October 20.

With the ruling, the court also issued a guideline consisting of 19 points which the EC was obliged to comply with. The guidelines require the EC to obtain the signatures from all the candidates to ensure that they do not have any issues with the voter registration list.

While the EC was making the final preparations to hold the elections for the second time on October 19, the government aligned political parties refused to sign the voter lists as required by new Supreme Court guidelines.

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