Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate, former President Mohamed Nasheed has stated that the party has resumed campaign activities on Sunday (September 8 ) to gather “the few thousand additional votes” needed to guarantee a win in the second round of the election scheduled for September 28.
“My first obligation, of course, is to thank every single Maldivian for participating in yesterday’s democratic election,” the candidate leading Saturday’s poll began.
Speaking to the press at his residence Kenereege for the first time since Saturday’s election, Nasheed stated that he did not believe anyone could describe the party’s total 45.45 percent of votes as “failing in the first round”.
“After three years of government we have received an overwhelming majority of over 95,000 votes. That is far, far more than, for instance, Gayoom managed to do after 30 years in government. And of course, Dr Waheed, after two years in government has failed so, so badly,” Nasheed said, referring to the incumbent’s 5.13 percent support in the first round.
“The election held yesterday was very well organised by the Elections Commission (EC). There were a few concerning issues about some ballot boxes. We believe that in some of the ballot boxes the voter turnout is much higher than the electoral list, and we would like the Elections Commission to explain these irregularities and discrepancies to us,” Nasheed said.
“As I see it, many Maldivians have voted for the MDP: over 95,000 citizens came out and voted in support of having our policies implemented. However, these 95,000 votes are still two or three thousand short of what we needed to win the election in a single round,” Nasheed claimed.
“Our discussions are now about what needs to be done to gain these two to three thousand additional votes that we need. There are things that this party knows for certain: as in, we know that, God willing, we will succeed if we put in hard work and maximum effort,” Nasheed said, adding that the party will hold a rally to initiate campaign efforts tonight.
“Many renowned and capable individuals in the Maldives who used to support or work for other political parties called me last night. I am speaking about many individuals from the Jumhoree Party (JP), Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP). What I have to tell them all is that MDP has development in its heart, we have no other objective. All persons are welcome to join us,” Nasheed said. He added that this included former ministers, as well as members of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s family.
“One of the biggest realities that has come to light due to the results of this election is that the citizens of the Maldives want an MDP government, they want good governance. Another reality that came to light from the results is that my former Vice President, ‘baaghee’ (traitor) Mohamed Waheed Hassan has no support at all, and that activities like [his] have no support in the country.”
“I still believe that it will be detrimental to the country’s development if we are to split up the cabinet to various parties,” Nasheed said, when asked if he planned to form alliances with other political parties for the second round.
He added that any individuals are welcome to work with the party to contribute to the development plans included in the party’s “Costed and Budgeted” manifesto.
“Some parties were creating a lot of deception under the pretence of speaking about Islam. I hope that these people will stop working in this manner. I believe that a small number of citizens get confused by these deceptive messages, but my hope is that in the next two weeks or so, they too will come to see the reality,” Nasheed responded, when asked what he felt could be the cause of failing – with such a narrow margin – to win the election in the first round itself.
“We will respect Islam and uphold its values. We will not place religion in trays and peddle it out like them,” said Nasheed.
International community
“What the international community now needs to understand is, despite what is written in the CONI (Commission of National Inquiry) report, MDP is the party that has the largest support base in the Maldives,” Nasheed stated.
“Unfortunately, the party which is ideologically closest to MDP has not been able to make much of a show in this election because of how they were led to work with Dr Waheed. I sometimes feel this is the work of the international community, who pushed the DRP towards Waheed, because they have been engaged in the politics of this country very heavily,” Nasheed alleged.
“They have always wanted Dr Waheed to come out with a better showing. And they have edged and shoved certain political groups in this country towards Dr Waheed,” Nasheed continued.
“I honestly hope that they will understand the realities of this country, and that they backed the wrong horse,” Nasheed said.
Battle lines
After narrowly finishing third during yesterday’s election with 24.07 percent of the vote, the Jumhoree Party (JP) said it had not yet decided on how it would approach a second round of voting. Despite coming third by just over a percent, the party said no decision had been taken over whether it would contest the provisional result.
“We need to consult the various party councils on how we will stand,” said JP Policy Secretary Mohamed Ajmal.
After a group of around 15 JP supporters demonstrated outside the Dharubaruge convention centre early on Sunday after of the Elections Commission (EC) unveiled the provisional election results, Ajmal said the party had not yet decided to contest the validity of the counting.
“We have raised some concerns with the EC about the voting process, but have not said we will contest [the poll],” he said. “We have alerted [the EC] of our concerns and they are gradually coming up with responses to them.”
According to Ajmal, the party has raised several concerns about how polling was conducted by the EC yesterday, including instances where certain individuals had reportedly been barred from voting, and cases of other people finding ballots already cast under their name.
EC President Fuwad Thowfeek today dismissed allegations of improper conduct during voting, but said the commission’s complaints department would investigate any reported irregularities.
Meanwhile, President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s campaign team said the incumbent would not be putting out a statement regarding his own intentions after Saturday’s result. A statement was expected later this week, according to a source in his team.
The Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) confirmed that senior officials including presidential candidate Abdulla Yameen and his running mate Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed had met in Male’ shortly after ballot counting had to discuss their second round plans.
MP Ahmed Nihan said at the time that the party had looked to meet with potential allies, including President Waheed and Gasim Ibrahim ahead of the second round, confirming that every other candidate who stood in the election against Nasheed would be invited “to be on-board” in the run-off.
MP Nihan and vice presidential candidate Dr Jameel were not responding to calls at time of press.
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(1) "MP Ahmed Nihan said at the time that the party had looked to meet with potential allies, including President Waheed..."
Good choice. Waheed is loved so much by Maldivians.
(2) "Meanwhile, President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s campaign team said the incumbent would not be putting out a statement regarding his own intentions after Saturday’s result."
Really? Ashamed to show his face. I bet he leaves the country quietly.
"There are things that this party knows for certain: as in, we know that, God willing, we will succeed if we put in hard work and maximum effort,” Nasheed said.
Yep, no doubt about that. Hard work and maximum effort will be required to get through the second round. I'm sure Nasheed won't b taking his enemies for granted. There's around 20000 JP voters and possibly 6000 DRP voters that could be swayed away from Yameen and Jameel. For the life of me, I can't imagine why a sane Maldivian would like to see Jameel as VP! That's got to be the lowest point that this country could possibly sink. I'm sure people won't let that happen.
Huge improvement on 2008 MDP performance. The choice is clear now, democracy or Hell on Earth living under Yameen and the mad old man.
bring back power to the people!
I don't think MDP supporters should bother about who will win if they are really confident they will win in the 2nd round. No more bashing and badmouthing needed. You bother on what will be your slogan now that 'Ehburun' failed. But what if 'Dheburun' also fails? LOL
Everyone talks about failure of JP.
But the biggest failure by far, is that of the DRP and ChasRandu! Who could not even eat the cake, when the whole damn tray was presented and placed on his lap!
@Ahmed Bin Addu Bin Suvadheeb on Sun, 8th Sep 2013 9:05 PM.
Waheed is loved so much by Maldivians and his campaign personnel that its campaign hub and command center, "Raiveriya" at the western end of Majeedheemagu, is in complete darkness!
Waheed's ghost team may be busy thanking every individual of the 90% support Waheed said he had!
Maldives democracy appears to be far more superior and qualitative to
India's. We in India dwell on past glory and Gandhi while the
contemporary scene is opposite. Wonders 2014 ? Hardly !
from: Vyas K Susarla
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/its-nasheed-vs-yaameen-in-runoff/article5106629.ece
Well done, Nasheed. Well done MDP.
Even the Abu Jahl will concede at this point that MDP has managed to do what most believed was impossible. They've got 45% of the popular vote despite every imaginable obstacle being put in front of them by everyone else.
Waheed went on a round-the-clock harbour/road/sanitation project foundation spree as well as a massive welfare campaign for the military and police. He had the state coffers open to fund his campaign.
Gasim spent his millions and foul mouthed Mohammed Nasheed on every occasion. Adhaalath meanwhile jumped on the old work horse, the Islamic toolkit, labeling MDP and it's supporters as laadheenee.
Yameen was towed around the country by big daddy Pharaoh Abdel Gay Yoom begging for votes in the name of the "family". Jameel was foaming at the mouth at every public gathering with the same drivel that comes out of his dragon's mouth. I maintain that the day Jameel becomes the Vice President of this country will be the day the Maldives started to finally sink beneath the waves.
You'd have thought that the combined assault of all that and the state machinery firmly in control of these groups, MDP would have been wiped out. The people of Maldives decided the exact opposite!
Congratulations to President Nasheed whose victory is assured. He was manipulated out of office by an illegal coup. Hats off to the Maldivian people who have voted for the only suitable candidate.....you islanders may be short and fat but not so dumb.
Present Waheed received less than 6% of the vote.....votes only from his immediate family, political cronies and the police and military who engineered the coup that brought him to office. He should now resign from politics and take self imposed exile in a distant land.....maybe Zimbabwe or Outer Mongolia?
Before you morons have a go at me.....in your poor Maldivian English.....for interfering in the politics of your very tiny country, let me say that it is of the greatest importance for us Indians to know what sort of government is installed in the Maldives.
The last thing we want is another Pakistan on our doorstep.
In football, sometimes you accept red cards and penalties. But not if Qasim and Hassan Saeed are playing. Hope these total loosers doesn't make Maldives like Kenya election dispute.
Certainly not fit for high office.
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/dhivehi/news/143391
@MissIndia NewDelhi: You might be happy because Nasheed got the highest votes in the 1st round but I'm very sad and humiliated because Nasheed allowed GMR to fund his party with a promise that they will be back when he wins in the first round. And now as an Indian you are calling us Maldivians as 'morons'? What a shame to me and what a shame to Maldives. Now it's up to the people to decide for their future.
MDP seems to have ignored all the cheating dirty tricks and mess put in their way. They are almost twice as strong then they were at this point 5 years ago despite all the liesmand a co.
Lets face it, only one party is fit to govern and this time they are experienced and wiser.
@MissIndia NewDelhi
Don't want another Pakistan on your doorstep? Then sell me some nuclear warheads, please.