Tag: by-elections

President Waheed scores “first political win” with weekend’s polls, reports regional media

Regional media reports have begun to surface following the outcome of yesterday’s parliamentary by-elections in Kaashidhoo and Thimarafushi – interpreting poll results as a major victory for President Mohamed Waheed Hassan.

The Hindustan Times ran with the headline “Maldives bypolls: First political win for president”.  Meanwhile, the Pakistan-based Business Recorder described the president as having “successfully faced down his first popularity test.”

However, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which continues to question the legitimacy of Dr Waheed’s administration, has hit out at suggestions that the polls reflected widespread public support for the government.

As polling commenced yesterday, President Waheed’s own Gaumee Itihad Party (GIP) did not field any candidates for the by-elections. Instead, the president threw his support behind candidates from the former opposition Jumhoree Party (JP) and the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

Official provisional results provided by the Elections Commission found that the PPM’s Ahmed Shareef won in the Thimarafushi constituency with 1756 votes (56 percent of the ballot).  MDP candidate Mohamed Musthafa came second with 1327 votes – a difference of 428.

Abdullah Jabir triumphed in the Kaashidhoo by-election with 1107 votes (54 percent of the ballot).  His MDP opponent followed him with 919 votes while PPM candidate Mohamed Waheed Ibrahim came fourth with nine votes – a single vote behind another candidate who had contested independently and came in third.

Both the PPM and JP form part of Waheed’s unity government, assembled after the resignation of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Yesterday’s voting appeared to pass without significant incident, despite widespread concerns that violence could accompany the first parliamentary by-elections to be held since President Waheed came to power. However, the MDP candidate for Thimirafushi, Mohamed Mustafha, has disputed the result, citing significant irregularities surrounding polling in Thaa Atoll Guraidhoo.

Speaking to Minivan News today, MDP spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor alleged that election observers were obstructed from conducting their duties in Guraidhoo.  He also claimed that party observers had been arrested before the polls closed, allowing the ballots to be rigged by state representatives.

Police Spokesperson Hassan Haneef said the police had received no reports of any arrests or incidents in Guraidhoo. He also reported that there had been no unrest in either constituency after results were announced.

Election Commissioner Fuad Thaufeeq is reported in local media as having said that there were no concerns that would lead him to question the validity of the polls or their results.

In considering the by-election results, President’s Office spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza today said he believed the vote served as a ringing endorsement of the current government.  Abbas added that the ballots reflected “public confidence” in Dr Waheed’s administration,  as well providing a vital working majority in the Majlis.

Abbas also felt that Saturday’s success gave the government a clear signal that it has sufficient support to complete the full presidential term into 2013.

Alternatively, MDP spokesperson Ghafoor said that he saw the polls as “the price we have to pay for early elections – to show that the right conditions [for presidential elections] are here.”

Ghafoor argued that the by-elections were essentially a throw-back to the pre-2008 Gayoom-era, dismissing the interpretation that the result showed support for the current President.

“The intricacies of local elections have a long history of corruption. This [result] has nothing to do with Waheed, it’s Gayoom’s people,” he continued.

President Waheed last night thanked all those who voted in support of the national unity government via his official Twitter page: “Thanks to all who voted for Shareef and Jabir. We have a clear majority in Maldives parliament,” he wrote.

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Election’s Commission figures back by-election victory for pro-government parties

Ahmed Shareef of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the Jumhoory Party’s (JP) Abdullah Jabir have won seats in the People’s Majlis based on official provisional by-election results provided by the Election’s Commission tonight.

Under these provisional results, Shareef will become the MP for Thimarafushi, while Jabir will answer to the constituents of Kaashidhoo. The Thimarafushi seat was previously held by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Mohamed Musthafa who was disqualified by the Supreme court over a decreed debt.

Musthafa

In 2009’s parliamentary elections, Musthafa won the Thimarafushi constituency seat against Ghassan Maumoon, Former Preisdent Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s son.

Polling for parliamentary by-elections on the islands of Kaashidhoo and Thimarafushi closed today at 4:05pm, with counting getting under way soon after following a day of largely peaceful electioneering.

Official provisional results announced by the Elections Commission tonight show that PPM’s Shareef won Thimarafushi constituency with 1756 votes (56%). Musthafa came in second with 1327 votes – a 428 vote difference.

Shareef was the Atoll Chief of Thaa Atoll from 2006-2008, last three year’s of Gayoom’s administration.

“It will be a tough vote between Shareef and Musthafa, because both of them are from this island”, a 27 year old man from Thimarafushi observed when interviewed by Minivan News. “Last time Musthafa won, it was against Gayoom’s son.  Now if he wins against a person from same island, it will be significant,” he added.

A total of 3616 voters are registered for Thimarafushi constituency which include; Guraidhoo island (1408 voters), Gaadhifushi island (434 voters) and Thimarafushi (1774 voters).  Only 3086 people were found to have voted, while 35 votes were disqualified.

Musthafa was said to have taken the lead in almost all these islands, except for Guraidhoo – well known to be a PPM strong-hold.

As the day wore on, five people were arrested from Guraidhoo this morning for allegedly vandalizing the island council office and smashing up windows, according to Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef.

Meanwhile, Jabir triumphed in the Kaashidhoo by-election with 1107 votes (54%).  The MDP candidate followed him with 919 votes while PPM candidate Mohamed Waheed Ibrahim came fourth with nine votes, a single vote behind another candidate who had contested independently and came in third.

Jabir and Waheed

Eligible voters for Kashidhoo constituency stands at 2231 while the turn out was 2060. The constituency is made up of 1422 voters from Kashidhoo island and 809 voters from Gaafaru.

Though Waheed contested on a PPM ticket, the party had officially endorsed JP candidate Jabir and  requested Waheed to withdraw his candidacy, but he declined.

Polls Peaceful

The polls, which were contested for two separate seats in the Majlis, are the first parliamentary elections to be conducted since the controversial transfer of power that saw President Mohamed Waheed Hassan take office in February.

Polls opened peacefully at 8:00am this morning on Kaashidhoo and Thimarafushi and ran peacefully throughout the day, except for the incident on Guraidhoo.

Elections Commission President Fuad Thaufeeq  said in a press conference this afternoon that the commission had received  a single complaint regarding the voter’s registry, with the rest of the complaints relating to elderly people or people with special needs who need assistance in voting.

“Elections officials at the ballot box will decide whether to give permission for assisted voting. But some people were dissatisfied with officials decision and complained.” he explained.

Local media yesterday reported that 21 complaints relating to the manner in which campaigning for today’s elections was being conducted were brought to the EC.

However, an EC spokesperson told Minivan News this morning that it was happy with the way voting was being conducted and had not received any fresh complaints so far today.

“Right now, there are no other complaints that we have received and we do not believe there are any significant problems for voters,” the commission spokesperson added. “we are quite happy that things are going smoothly and people are being encouraged to vote,” He observed.

When asked regarding the potential impact that yesterday’s complaints may have had on voters, the Elections Commission said it was monitoring polling stations and police conduct very closely.

police officers near barricades

Meanwhile, the MDP this afternoon praised what it has called a “peaceful and calm” voting environment during today’s by-elections, whilst appealing for its supporters to remain calm and show “maximum restraint” as the day progressed.

In a statement, MDP spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said that the party remained fully confident in the Elections Commission’s ability to ensure free and fair elections amidst calls for a new nationwide presidential poll after former President Mohamed Nasheed alleged he had been forced to resign in a “coup d’etat” in February.

“The MDP has consistently called for early presidential elections in the Maldives to resolve the political deadlock that exists since the unlawful transfer of power on February 7 following police and military backed coup in the Maldives,” Ghafoor claimed.

“Elections today are held at a time when [former President Maumoon Abdul] Gayyoom has publicly stated early Presidential elections would not be held in the Maldives citing conditions for elections are not right and also that Elections Commission does not have the capacity to hold early elections in the Maldives.”

Dr. Waheed’s role

During a busy election weekend, President Waheed was himself in Thimarafushi on Friday afternoon, where he endorsed PPM candidate Ahmed Shareef just a few hours before campaigning ended.

Speaking to the inhabitants, Dr.Waheed claimed that the government held a great majority in the parliament and added that electing Shareef would help expedite the government’s performance.

He also promised that the Thimarafushi airport development will begin soon. Meanwhile, several islanders claiming to oppose the

Shareef standing behind Dr.Waheed in Guraidhoo visit

present government walked out of the island in retaliation to Waheed’s visit.

“Around 200-300 people including men women and elderly went to nearby uninhabited island called Hiriyanfushi. They did not want to be here when coup president arrive,” a Thimarafushi councillor told Minivan News.

MDP supporters alleged that Waheed visited Thaa atoll during the elections to promote the PPM’s candidate and influence voting. “The School wall was even painted in pink when Waheed visited there yesterday,” MDP supporters claimed.

While polling was ongoing today, heated arguments and mild clashes reportedly erupted between supporters of Dr.Waheed and his opponents on Vilufushi island of Thaa atoll, where he was visiting.

No arrests were made but the police tightened the security around the school in the area where the President met Vilufushi islanders.

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Adhaalath, PPM accuses government of influencing Fuvahmulah by-election

The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and religious conservative Adhaalath Party has accused senior government officials of illegally influencing the by-election held in Fuvamulah last Saturday for a vacant atoll council seat.

In a statement yesterday, Adhaalath Party said it had received information that the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) carried out a number of activities to influence voting.

Transport Minister Adhil Saleem, Tourism Minister Dr Mariyam Zulfa and Education Minister Shifa Mohamed were in Fuvahmulah on the day of the vote, Adhaalath noted, alleging that the ministers summoned Fuvamulah managers and staff at the State Trading Organization (STO) Fuvamulah branch as well as the island’s hospital and “threatened” and ordered them to vote for MDP candidate.

Education Minister Shifa phoned heads of Fuvamulah schools and asked them to vote for the MDP candidate, Adhaalath claimed.

“Fuvamulah islanders in Male’ were carried on flights to the Fuvamulah for the vote,” Adhaalath said in the statement. “When the ministers went near the area where the ballot boxes were kept to influence the election, islanders sent them away.”

PPM Media Coordinator and Vili-Maafanu MP Ahmed Nihan told Minivan News today that three cabinet ministers and senior officials of the State Trading Organisation (STO) were actively campaigning and “going door to door” on the day of the by-election.

“PPM calls on the Elections Commission (EC) to investigate the government’s intimidation of voters and violation of democratic principles,” he said.

Senior officials of STO told Fuvahmulah residents that work on the island’s airport could stop if they did not elect an MDP councillor, Nihan claimed.

Such actions by senior government officials cast doubt on the fairness of the by-election, Nihan argued.

Nihan said the EC should have a “better probing mechanism” to answer complaints of undue influence over elections, adding that an official should have been monitoring the situation on the ground.

Tourism Minister Dr Maryam Zulfa however dismissed the allegations today and said that the purpose of the minister’s visit was to brief the islanders and councillors about the government projects planned and ongoing in Fuvamulah.

“We did not take part in any campaign activities and the only persons we met were the island councilors and atoll councilors and we had a meeting open for all the people of Fuvamulah,” she said. “There are so many investments made in Fuvamulah and we were advised not to let it die there.”

PPM member Abdulla Mohamed Didi – who ran as an Independent as PPM had not completed the registration process – won Saturday’s by-election for the mid-Fuvahmulah atoll council seat with 861 votes (52 percent) to the 750 votes (46 percent) for the MDP candidate, Mohamed Abdulla Didi.

The seat had previously been held by MDP councillor Hassan Saeed, who was removed from the post after the Supreme Court ruled in October that his candidacy should have been disqualified over a decreed debt.

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By-elections for Shaviyani atoll council, Alif Alif Mathiveri island council seat scheduled for December 31

The Elections Commission (EC) has announced by-elections for vacant seats in the Milandhoo constituency of the Shaviyani atoll council and a vacant seat in the Alif Alif Mathiveri island council for December 31.

Candidates for the vacant seats have been informed to apply to contest in the by-election before November 29.

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Himandhoo, Fuvahmulah by-elections scheduled for November 19

The Elections Commission (EC) has announced by-elections to replace vacant council seats in Alif Alif Himandhoo and Gnaviyani Fuvahmulah for November 19 and invited potential candidates to apply before October 16.

Councillors of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Hassan Saeed from Fuvahmulah and Abdulla Jameel from Himandhoo, lost their seats after the Supreme Court ruled last week on cases contesting their eligibility to compete in the February council elections.

The Supreme Court ruled that Hassan Saeed had a decreed debt that he was not paying back in accordance with a lower court verdict while Abdulla Jameel had been convicted of theft. Both were disqualified under article 12(c) of the Local Council Elections Act.

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Kaashidhoo MP requests EC delay by-elections pending court appeal

President of the Elections Commission (EC) Fuad Thaufeeq has said that the commission does not believe that the Kaashidhoo seat in parliament is vacant following the Criminal Court’s sentencing of Kaashidhoo MP Ismail Abdul Hameed for corruption, as it had been notified by Hameed that he would appeal the decision at the High Court and would wait until the judicial procedure was concluded.

‘’The Commission does not believe that the Kaashidhoo constituency seat in parliament is vacant because MP Ismail Abdul Hameed has sent a letter to the parliament saying that he will appeal at the High Court,’’ Fuad told Minivan News. ‘’He requested the commission delay the by-elections until the judicial procedure was over.’’

On August 29, the Criminal Court sentenced Independent MP Ismail Abdul Hameed to one year and six months banishment after he was found guilty of corruption.

The Prosecutor General pressed corruption charges against Hameed alleging that he had abused his authority as the former Director of Waste Management at the Male’ municipality to financially benefit a Singaporean company named Island Logistics in a deal to purchase a barge.

Under article 73(c)(3) of the constitution, MPs found guilty of a criminal offence “and sentenced to a term of more than twelve months” are to be stripped of their seat.

Meanwhile, the Elections Commission has asked the Parliament to inform the commission if any seat of the parliament was vacant, as the commission required confirmation from parliament before holding a by-election.

In a statement the commission said that it had asked the parliament to send a stamped official document mentioning why the seat became vacant, and if it was due to a court verdict, to submit the court verdict as well.

Fuad told Minivan News that the statement was not issued following the verdict against MP Ismail, but was rather a general statement to inform society that there was  “no official way we can confirm that a seat is vacant unless the concerned institution informs the commission.”

‘’It was not in connection to the court ruling on MP Ismail Abdul Hameed, it was a general statement,” he said. “We have also informed island councils and atoll councils to tell us if any seat in the council becomes vacant.’’

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