Elections will go ahead, even without voters list signatures: EC President

The People’s Majlis elections scheduled for 22 March will be held as planned, the Elections Commission (EC) President Fuwad Thowfeek has said.

Speaking about the election on Television Maldives’ ‘Raaje Miadhu’ programme, Thowfeek said that he hoped all candidates would sign the lists, but that even if they did not the elections would be held regardless.

“I don’t believe we should bring any change to the election. So it will be held as planned,” he said.

The voter list signatures mandated by the Supreme Court were not obtained during the recent local council elections held in January.

Approval of voter lists by all candidates was mandated by the Supreme Court guidelines in the verdict annulling the first round of the presidential election held in September 2013.

The EC has described these guidelines as “restrictive”while the court have been criticised by the United Nations for “subverting the democratic process” in the Maldives with “onerous” and “difficult to satisfy” guidelines.