Former President Mohamed Nasheed rallied supporters last night during a large Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) gathering near the Tsunami Monument in Male’, relaunching its ‘ehburun’ (‘one round’) campaign after 11 nights of protests.
Thousands attended the rally, at which Nasheed hailed the announcement of an election date as a “huge victory” in the country’s “irreversible move towards democracy.”
Nasheed finished first in the annulled poll on September 7 with 45.45 percent of the popular vote, missing out on the ’50 percent plus one vote’ needed for a first round victory.
The Elections Commission has scheduled the new vote for October 19, noting that as a repeat of the first round, all candidates names would have to appear on the ballot as before.
The PPM was scheduled to enter a September 28 run-off against Nasheed before the Supreme Court opted to annul first round altogether. The 4:3 verdict hinged on a confidential police report – unavailable even to the Election Commission’s defence lawyers – supposedly claiming that 5,600 votes were ineligible due to errors such as address mismatches. The dissenting judges dismissed this evidence as invalid, noting only the claims of 473 ineligible votes – 0.2 percent of the total ballots cast.
“Our rivals wanted to arrest me for a long time. Our rivals want to dissolve the party system. Our rivals want to annul the presidential election indefinitely. Our rivals want the security forces to take over the Maldives’ government,” Nasheed told his supporters.
“Our rivals don’t want a democratic system in the Maldives, they do not want Maldivians to have the right to vote. They want to establish an authoritarian government again.,” he said.
With the first polls declared to be free and fair by all national and international observers, the MDP raised concern over the credibility of the order invalidating the first round of elections “by a Supreme Court bench tainted with allegations of corruption, and scandal.”
“The MDP is further disturbed over the Supreme Court’s comments allowing for an incumbent to remain as President despite the end of the Presidential term. The MDP does not believe that the Constitution allows for anyone to be President after the five year term which currently ends on 11 November 2013. Elections must be held to restore legitimate government and democracy in the Maldives,” the MDP said in a statement.
“The Election Commission stated that the only reason they halted the constitutionally stipulated second round of the Presidential Elections was due to a lack of cooperation by the security services and the Government, resulting in an environment non-conducive for free and fair elections.
“Thus, the MDP believe that the Supreme Court will entertain further spurious and vexatious claims as long as there is no interim arrangement allowing MDP a say in the affairs of the government,” the party added, but said it was “prepared for any election announced by the Elections Commission.”
“The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) firmly believes that all matters relating to the carrying out of Presidential elections must be decided upon by the constitutionally mandated Elections Commission,” the party stated.
“The MDP hopes that the elections takes place as soon as possible under the careful scrutiny of domestic and international observers.”
The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has meanwhile announced that it is in discussions with both President Dr Mohamed Waheed and the Jumhooree Party (JP) regarding the fielding of a single candidate for the upcoming repeat of the presidential election.
“The PPM is a party that works with people. I know senior people are calling President Waheed and Jumhooree Party leader Gasim Ibrahim. President Maumoon speaks to them,” the party’s running mate Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed told local media today.
“If you are for the nation and religion, the first thing you have to do is beat MDP [Maldivian Democratic Party],” said PPM presidential candidate Adbulla Yameen.
“Then decide on who comes to power. We will, God willing, win this election if everyone thinks about this and remains steadfast.”
The Supreme Court case was initially filed by the third placed JP after its candidate and leader Gasim missed out on the second round by 2,677 votes.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, JP vice presidential candidate Dr Hassan Saeed also posited the idea of pooling support.
“We are trying to achieve results in a first round together with as many people as possible. There is talk among us to propose one candidate,” he told local media.
Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali has already announced that his party – the country’s third largest in terms of membership figures – will support Nasheed in subsequent polling.
Thasmeen had entered the first round as President Waheed’s running mate, however the incumbent leader received only 5.13 percent of the vote.
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This is a very heart warming and a confidence building news from MDP.
It shows that despite chaos, Maldives is stable and has the ability to go though shocks without breaking apart or recourse to civil war.
Hope MDP and PPM would do their utmost to maintain civility despite the bickering. You are just rivals or competitors - not enemies.
Peace..
... But DRP is not the 3rd largest. They got 50% of 5%.
50% of 5% is not 1/3.
50% of 5% is 2.5%.
Statistics can be used to lie but saying DRP is the 3rd largest is a lie that is as flat as Thasmeen bums.
If Anni win the presidential election i hope he will not be a puppet of those business men who financed for the MDP campaign.of course if individual invest, expect that there should be return of investment.
I am confused by Nasheed's confidence. After the hijack of the last result, the slimy court judgement to anul, the burning down of the TV station, stabbings, threats etc does ANYONE think the current government/police or army will allow him to win?
I think if he wins they will just get another court order, if the police cant manage to destroy or change the ballot slips that is.
Disgraceful.
Whatever they may say PPM has shown themselves as a party that does not work with people but with force. And what a cynical and obvious use of the religion - shame on them, especially coming from someone who operates along the lines of the mafiosi. There is only one party that cares about nation building and it ain't PPM, certainly not that lurking ex-dictator who seems shameless and delusional along with their minions - and it isn't power hungry and now nearly plain loony JP either. As expected the usual suspects that got together for the coup to oust MDP/Nasheed are lining up for the only thing that unites them - halt Nasheed, halt the progress towards the inevitable. What happens after that? Gunfight at OK Corral? Just wake up, we aren't in a movie, you cannot turn the tide, not today, not tomorrow and certainly not with brute force - not for long. Best acknowledge your rivals and fellow countrymen.
The dictatorship will cheat, steal and lie to engineer the outcome they want. Watch what happens.
@ Ahmed
Just relax will ya. Sky is not going to fall.
Its not like you have lived all your life in Sweden..
"President Maumoon speaks to them,” the party’s running mate Dr Mohamed Jameel...
Jameel, read my lips: you can never win an elected seat in this country, never mind the post of vice president.
Gay Yoom must miss the golden toilets. Unfortunately for him, Ali Hameed entertains Russian prostitutes in his former Palace these days...
I bet you all of your Rufiyaa that when MDP wins the election, Gasim, Yameen and Saeed will be at the Court gates armed with another annulment. We haven't seen the last of this drama yet...
People are now fed up with the anti-MDP factions whose cannot agree on anything
As long Hassan Saeed is there, nothing will be agreed. The decisive Hassan Saeed is doing the best campaigning for MDP.
Isn't it interesting that the 3 New Madives doctors are campaigning shamelessly for three different parties!!!! Surely none of them have a single moral fiber
Sorry, it's the devisive Hassan Saeed, not decisive. He will surely destroy Qasim too
As expected large cross-sections of the public are beginning to lose trust in the electoral system because of the recent elections petition. This is unsurprising because of the lack of transparency in Supreme Court proceedings.
The best thing for this country would be for elections to go forward and a peaceful transfer of power afterwards. The next most decisive test would be for the winner to provide the space for an active opposition because democracy is not just the linear narrative of a party winning an election and assuming power. It continues beyond that and allowing an opposition to operate is just as fundamental to democracy as elections.
I am saying this because the reason for the unrest in the country is the lack of political will for successive governments to let the opposition voice their dissent and canvass support among the people. Qayyoom lost all credibility before announcing his reform agenda because he had arrested dissenters and tried to strangle the opposition in its crib. Nasheed had to resign because he engaged in open bribery, intimidation and abuse of power to destroy the opposition prompting opposition leaders to engineer his downfall. The Waheed administration fared no better with arrest and intimidation of opposition figures.
Canadian Foreign Ministers may brush aside anything that Nasheed does but I sincerely believe that he was not able to put into practice a lot that he promised.
At the same time it must be said that opposition to a government is not rebellion and political figures must not act as if their job is to unseat a lawfully elected government by any means necessary. They must try and discredit the person in the seat (not the institution) and canvass support in time for the next election.
“If you are for the nation and religion, the first thing you have to do is beat MDP [Maldivian Democratic Party],” said PPM presidential candidate Adbulla Yameen.
What kind of "religion" is this??? Certainly not Islam..
Anni want to be the president by any means. There are proofs of rigging the votes and EC people who are responsible for these barbaric act must be punished.
This country does not belong to Nasheed and it belong to people of Maldives and people of Maldives is not only the member of MDP.
We the people of Maldives want Gayyoom as our president. And everyone knows it. We even voted for Gayyoom. Zaeem ... Zidhabad...
The days of Arabian camel beards are numbered. Just 9 days. After that the camels will be deported to afghan.
Maldives will begin journey to secularism.
And mullahs cannot stop this time.