Tag: elections commission

Political Parties Act was fabricated to destroy GIP: GIP

Minister of State for Finance and Spokesperson for President Mohamed Waheed’s abolished Gaumee Iththihaadh Party (GIP), Abbas Adil Riza, has said that he does not accept that the party has been dissolved despite the Elections Commission saying otherwise.

During a press conference held at Nalahiyaa Hotel on Wednesday, Riza said the elections commission had not informed them of the party’s dissolution.

Following the ratification of Political Parties Act, only five political parties remain registered in the Maldives. Remaining parties include: opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and government-aligned parties Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Jumhoree Party (JP) and Adhaalath Party (AP).

Vice President of Elections Commission (EC) Ahmed Fayaz told Minivan News on Tuesday that a total of 11 political parties had now been removed from its political party registry in accordance to the new Act.

President Waheed’s own party, GIP was among the 11 parties dissolved following the bill’s ratification, despite the president’s claims that it had reached 10,000 members.

EC Vice President Fayaz said that whilst GIP and the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) had both submitted enough forms to meet the 10,000 minimum, many of those forms were still pending and so could not be counted.

“There are two parties who have submitted close to, or over the 10,000 membership minimum, but just because the parties have 10,000 membership forms submitted, it does not mean they have 10,000 party members,” he said at the time.

It had been previously reported that upon ratification of the bill, political parties with fewer than 10,000 members would have three months to reach the required amount or face dissolution.

When asked about the clause, Fayaz stated it only applied to registered parties in accordance to the bill, and that therefore if a party does not meet the 10,000 limit it cannot be classed as such and is therefore exempt from the three-month clause.

Meanwhile Abbas Adil Riza contended that a high priority was given by parliament members in drafting the Political Parties Bill which became law on Tuesday, claiming that the bill was fabricated to destroy the party.  Riza also accused Parliament Speaker Abdulla Shahid of playing a pivotal role in making sure the bill got passed into law.

Last week, both parliament’s minority leader and majority leader unanimously supported to overrule the vetoed Political Parties bill without any amendments, forcing it through. Out of the 67 members present during the vote, 60 voted in favour of the passage of the bill while six voted against the bill and one MP abstained.

During the press conference, Riza also contended that Maldives’ political party system was “significantly in need of smaller political parties” and that all major political parties had “betrayed the nation” because it had the support base needed to do so.

He also contended that the party would file a petition in Supreme Court challenging the Political Parties Act and the Elections Commission in its decision to abolish the party.

President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad – who is also a member of GIP – echoed similar remarks earlier, claiming the government had decided to take measures to “rectify” the decision to dissolve all but five of the country’s political parties.

He argued that the dissolution of the parties is seen by the state as an infringement of people’s right to form political bodies which he maintained was a constitutional right.

Masood contended that Attorney General (AG) Azima Shukoor had on Tuesday afternoon sought to file motions with the country’s Supreme Court raising concerns with the decision to dissolve the parties following the ratification of the Act.

However, it remains unclear as to whether the Supreme Court has accepted the case or not.

Addressing the impact of President Waheed’s own party being dissolved, Masood said the decision would not be a problem for the functioning of the present government.

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Eleven political parties dissolved after controversial bill ratified by President

Additional reporting by Neil Merrett.

Five political parties remain registered in the Maldives following the ratification of the controversial Political Parties Bill by President Mohamed Waheed.

Vice President of Elections Commission (EC) Ahmed Fayaz told Minivan News today (March 12) that a total of 11 political parties had now been removed from its political party registry in accordance to the new bill.

Out of the 16 parties that had previously existed prior to the ratification of the bill, only the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Jumhoree Party (JP) and Adhaalath Party (AP) remain registered in the Maldives.

The Political Parties Bill, ratified today (March 12), states that parties who do not meet the required 10,000 members will no longer be recognised as such in the Maldives.

President Waheed’s own party, Gaumee Ihthihad Party (GIP) was one of the 11 parties dissolved following the bill’s ratification, despite the president’s claims that it had reached 10,000 members.

EC Vice President Fayaz said that whilst GIP and the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) had both submitted enough forms to meet the 10,000 minimum, many of those forms were still pending and so could not be counted.

“There are two parties who have submitted close to, or over the 10,000 membership minimum, but just because the parties have 10,000 membership forms submitted, it does not mean they have 10,000 party members.

“We followed procedure in accordance to the [Political Parties] bill. Within that bill there is a clause that clearly states, that when a party that has less than 10,000 members it is to become null and void. The EC acted in accordance to the law,” Fayaz told Minivan News.

It had been previously reported that upon ratification of the bill, political parties with fewer than 10,000 members would have three months to reach the required amount or face dissolution.

When asked about the clause, Fayaz stated it only applied to registered parties in accordance to the bill, and that therefore if a party does not meet the 10,000 limit it cannot be classed as such and is therefore exempt from the three-month clause.

Government takes measures to “rectify” Political Parties Bill

Speaking to Minivan News, President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad said the government had decided to take measures to “rectify” the decision to dissolve all but five of the country’s political parties.

The dissolution of the parties is seen by the state as an infringement of people’s right to form political bodies, according to Masood.

“The constitution does give the right for every citizen to do this,” he added.

Masood contended that Attorney General (AG) Azima Shukoor had this afternoon sought to file motions with the country’s Supreme Court raising concerns with the decision to dissolve the parties following the ratification of the controversial Political Parties Bill by President Waheed earlier today.

However, at the time of press, he said he was not aware exactly of the nature of documentation submitted to the courts by the attorney general.

Addressing the impact of President Waheed’s own party being dissolved, Masood said the decision would not be a problem for the functioning of the present government.

However, he declined to comment on what implications a lack of party could have on President Waheed’s prospects for re-election.

“There maybe some issues there going forward, but you would need to speak with a spokesperson for the president’s party,” he said. “I would rather not comment on the matter.”

Local media reported that the AG’s Office had submitted both the Political Parties Act and the Privileges and Powers of Parliament Members Act to the Supreme Court today, stating that the bills contain a number of legal discrepancies.

At time of press, Attorney General Azima Shukoor and GIP party spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza were not responding to calls from Minivan News.

President Waheed’s Special Advisor and Leader of the government-aligned Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), Dr Hassan Saeed, and MP Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam, Interim Leader of the recently formed Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), were also not returning calls today.

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President Waheed claims 10,000 members for GIP by March 10

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has claimed that his Gaumee Ithihaad Party (GIP) will reach 10,000 members by Sunday (March 10).

Speaking to local media, the president claimed that 9,000 members had signed for the party and that extensive campaigning was being carried out in Male’ to increase GIP’s membership.

Despite the president’s claims, the Elections Commission political registry presently shows that his party has only 4,012 registered members, local media reported.

President Waheed told local media that the push to reach 10,000 members was due to the recently passed political party bill, which states that any party with less than 10,000 members could face dissolution.

“I still don’t believe that this is something they [Parliament] should have done. I believe forming clubs, organisations and political parties is a right enshrined in the constitution. That is a fundamental right,” Waheed was told local newspaper Haveeru.

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PPM reclaim spot as second largest political party in Maldives

Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) has taken back its place as the second largest political party in the Maldives, local media reports.

Earlier this month, the PPM was overtaken by the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) by just 64 members.

Latest figures from the political party registry of the Elections Commission (EC) show that PPM now has a 583-member lead over DRP, which has 22,182 members, local media reported.

Despite PPM, with 22,765 members, overtaking DRP, the party has less than half the number of members of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) which currently stands at 46,533 – the largest political party in the Maldives.

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PPM call on Elections Commission to dissolve MDP

The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has called on the Elections Commission (EC) to dissolve the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), calling it a “terrorism party”.

Last week (February 18), Human Rights Ambassador of the President’s Office Ahmed Ibrahim “Sandhaanu” Didi made a similar request to the EC, claiming that the MDP was an “unlawful organisation which commits terrorist activities.”

Speaking at a rally on artificial beach on Thursday night (February 21), local media reported PPM as further stating that former President Mohamed Nasheed should be brought to justice and should not be allowed to hide inside the Indian High Commission.

On February 13, Nasheed sought refuge inside the Indian High Commission prior to a trial hearing in the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court he was scheduled to attend later that day.

Two arrest warrants have been issued to detain and produce the former President at the court on charges relating to the illegal detention of Chief Judge of Criminal Court Abdullah Mohamed in January 2012.

The PPM rally, according to local media, was held to defend both the constitution and the justice system.

PPM Vice President Ahmed Adheeb said that the PPM would not hesitate to hold street protests when necessary, echoing sentiments by the PPM youth wing, who earlier stated that it intends to protest against the MDP protests in Male’.

PPM Spokesperson Ahmed Mahlouf was not responding to calls from Minivan News at time of press.

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President’s Human Rights Ambassador calls on Elections Commission to dissolve “terrorist” MDP

Human Rights Ambassador of the President’s Office Ahmed Ibrahim “Sandhaanu” Didi has called on Elections Commission (EC) President Fuad Thaufeeq to dissolve the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), calling it an “unlawful organisation which commits terrorist activities and attempts to undermine the powers of the state.”

“Fuad Thaufeeq must pronounce the MDP an illegal party and remove it from the political party registry immediately. They shouldn’t be allowed to exist,” he told a press conference on Monday afternoon.

“Article 27 and 32 of the constitution allows freedom of expression and assembly without any limits. However, we must bear in mind that we cannot exercise these rights in a manner which infringes upon the rights of others,” Ibrahim Didi said.

“The roads of Male’ have been in chaos for the past year. One of the groups is calling for early elections, which itself is against our constitution,” he continued.

“I see no reason for there to be dissenting political views. Former President Mohamed Nasheed handed in his resignation on live TV. There should be no questions around this.”

Ibrahim Didi stated that all concerned parties had initially accepted the findings released by the Commission of National Inquiry (CoNI), a Commonwealth-backed inquiry commission set in place through presidential decree by President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.

“If some of these people later decided to go against that stand, we are not obliged to listen to them. If we are to go on like this, the world will come to believe we are fools,” Ibrahim Didi said.

He added the charges against former President and current MDP presidential candidate Nasheed will not become political “just because he and his supporters say so.”

“Even Almighty God loves all of his subjects. But if any of us sins, He will punish as is due. The same law of nature applies to the case at hand,” said the human rights ambassador.

Ibrahim Didi stated that the current MDP protests were unlawful as they are calling on the Prosecutor General (PG) to withdraw charges against Nasheed, which he said was unlawful under the Maldivian constitution.

“If in their protests, the MDP are calling for the charges against Nasheed to be withdrawn, their demands are unlawful as per the constitution. These charges are being pressed by an independent institution. They are calling to undermine the powers of this institution. So I must ask for this party, these people, to be arrested and detained. I am saying this because this party is trying to undermine the powers of the republic and the constitution.”

Ibrahim Didi alleged that MDP supporters had set to the streets “with one objective alone: to undermine the powers of our constitution.”

Ibrahim Didi further spoke about the importance of all political parties having the same views and objectives.

“I cannot believe, in fact, I do not at all want to believe, that there can be anyone with views opposing that of the government. There should be no opposition parties. Everyone should have the same views. There can, however, be parties created to hold the government accountable.”

Ibrahim Didi alleged that “more than political activities, [MDP] is creating havoc on the streets, setting places on fire and creating chaos.”

“Even when their presidential candidate is a criminal, they keep saying no, no, no, we still want him,” Ibrahim Didi said of Nasheed’s supporters.

Ibrahim Didi responded that he “personally held no doubts that Nasheed is a criminal”, when a journalist asked how he could refer to Nasheed as a criminal before the courts ruled on the case.

Elections Commission “disappointed”

President of the Elections Commission Fuad Thaufeeq stated that he was “deeply saddened that a person like Ahmed Ibrahim Didi would call for such an undemocratic act as terminating a political party.”

“The MDP is the largest political party with over 46,000 members. If we add together the membership numbers of the second and third largest parties, DRP and PPM, the total number is approximately equal to the membership of MDP as a single party. Is he asking us to take away the rights of this many citizens?” Thaufeeq said.

“Protesting is a constitutional right granted to all people. That is not a reason to terminate any party. The EC, to date, has not seen any reason to terminate any political party. We are also observing the activities of the parties,” Thaufeeq continued.

“I am appalled that Ahmed Ibrahim Didi would call on us to do such a thing. Since freedom of expression is a constitutional right, anyone can say what they please as long as it aligns with the constitution and Islamic values,” he said.

“Hence, Ibrahim Didi has a right to call for MDP to be terminated, and MDP has a right to call for Nasheed’s trial to be postponed. There is no valid reason here for a party to be terminated.”

No police brutality: HR Ambassador

Ibrahim Didi further stated that he did not believe that the police had committed any acts of brutality in the past year.

“I am very concerned that the Human Rights Commission released a statement saying police have used excessive force. If someone comes at police with a wooden club with excessive force, then police too will respond and go at them with excessive force. One can’t judge these actions unless they are there on the spot,” he stated.

“I saw on DhiTV today that Fuad Thaufeeq has said we can have a free and fair election if we can resolve issues between MDP and the police. This is a highly irresponsible statement,” he said.

“Anyone who speaks against the police are traitors to the nation. People who have problems with the police are all criminals. People from political parties will never have problems with the police,” Ibrahim Didi said.

Vice President of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives Ahmed Tholal said the commission had always called on people to demonstrate peacefully as allowed in the constitution, and the police to exercise restraint.

“Even in an instance where a demonstration becomes violent, I do not believe the state should respond in kind. None of our laws allow any form of violence. Should protesters get violent, then the state should only take proper legal action against the perpetrators. The state cannot at all respond with similar forms of violence as the perpetrators,” Tholal said.

Roles of the Human Rights Ambassador

Ibrahim Didi said that one could compare protests under past administrations to the current protests being held by MDP.

Asked by journalists if, as Human Rights Ambassador, Ibrahim Didi believed the December 2011 protests by the current government aligned parties could be termed “peaceful”, in which protesters uprooted trees and a policeman was attacked with fire, Ibrahim Didi stated that “we are not here to hold a hearing on this” and “we will need to review past protests before commenting on that.”

“Any persons who challenge the constitution, who challenge the judicial system, cannot be termed as a political party. They must be termed an unlawful organisation and must be removed from the political party registry,” Ibrahim Didi responded, when asked if the parties that participated in the December 2011 protests which had called to “topple” the then government should also be terminated for undermining the constitution.

Local media also asked Ibrahim Didi what he, as current Ambassador and previously a strong critic of Gayoom, had done to ensure that justice was delivered for victims of human rights abuses during Gayoom’s 30 year regime.

“I stand by everything I have said about Gayoom’s actions. Even though I am here as an Ambassador for Human Rights, I think it is better if those questions are asked of the commission Nasheed made during his administration to look into those very allegations.”

Ibrahim Didi concluded the press event by stating that he did not accept the judiciary was functioning, saying “these arsonists would not be walking around on our streets freely if the judiciary could perform right.”

“Sheer madness”: MDP

MDP Spokesperson Imthiyaz Fahmy said it was not at Ibrahim Didi’s discretion to terminate a political party, adding that such things were done under certain norms and procedures.

“The MDP is the party that stood up for Ibrahim Didi himself, when he was sentenced to life imprisonment for exercising freedom of expression during Gayoom’s brutal regime. And today has he no shame calling for this party to be terminated?” Fahmy asked.

“It is sheer madness to call for the termination of the country’s largest and first democratic political party. Terminating a political party in this manner is simply not possible in a democratic environment, it is like calling a square a circle. I cannot understand what kind of policies the man is following. It is sheer madness to make remarks like he has made today,” Fahmy said.

“He doesn’t understand the simple concept of the presumption of innocence, and has proceeded to call Nasheed a criminal. In fact, he has today called almost half the population criminals by saying anyone who has issues against the police are criminals,” Fahmy said.

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DRP overtakes PPM in member numbers

The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has become the second largest political party in the Maldives, overtaking Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) in membership numbers.

According to local media, the number of members in the DRP now stands at 22,687 – a 64 member lead on the 22,263 members of PPM.

The largest party in the Maldives, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), stood at 47,192 members as of December last year.

However, local media reported that the latest Election Commission (EC) numbers for the MDP show that the party had lost 237 members this month alone.

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik’s Gaumee Ittihad Party (GIP) gained the most members in February, according to local media, increasing its membership by 372.

Amongst the 16 political parties in the country, Jumhooree Party (JP) currently has the most member registration forms pending in the EC with 2595 waiting to be approved.

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Elections Commission Head warns a compromised Nasheed trial could create doubt over election integrity

President of the Elections Commission (EC) Fuad Thaufeeq has expressed concern over former President Mohamed Nasheed’s decision to take refuge in the Indian High Commission.

Former President Nasheed sought refuge last Wednesday claiming his security was compromised and that the government was intending to arrest and convict him to prevent him contesting the 2013 presidential elections.

Speaking to local media, the elections commission chief said it was deeply concerning to see the presidential candidate of the largest political party seeking refuge from a diplomatic office.

Thaufeeq said Nasheed was a former President and ought to receive the privileges entitled to a former president as stipulated in the law.

“Firstly, Nasheed is a former president, secondly he a presidential candidate of a political party. Thirdly, he represents the largest political party in the country. Each of these factors carries significant weight,” Thaufeeq said.

He said the Elections Commission would do everything it could to find a solution for all the parties involved, including the former president.

Thaufeeq said Nasheed should get a fair trial in accordance with the constitution and the law, and that such a trial should not be politically motivated.

The President of the Elections Commission warned that if Nasheed’s trial proved to be a tool to bar him from contesting the scheduled presidential elections, it would cast doubt over the integrity of the election.

“Even if it is Abdulla Yameen or Umar Naseer or Gasim Ibrahim or Mohamed Nasheed or even Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, these people have all announced they will contest the elections. If one of them happens to be on trial, that trial must be free and fair,” he told local newspaper Haveeru.

The Elections Commission has announced that the election will take place on September 7.

Nasheed is being tried for his controversial detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed, during his final days in office in January 2012.

Nasheed sought refuge in the Indian High Commission ahead of the second hearing of his ongoing criminal trial, after an order was issued by the magistrate court to place him under police custody.

After entering the High Commission, Nasheed tweeted: “Mindful of my own security and stability in the Indian Ocean, I have taken refuge at the Indian High Commission in Maldives.”

Rumours of Nasheed’s imminent arrest began to circulate on Tuesday (February 12) ahead of the scheduled hearing, prompting his supporters to camp in the narrow alley outside his family home in Male’.

Following the Indian High Commission’s decision to take Nasheed in, police failed to produce him stating they did not have the jurisdiction to enter the premises, citing the protections of the Vienna convention to which the Maldives is signatory.  The hearing was subsequently cancelled in his absence.

The government of President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik expressed concern over the move and accused India of meddling with its domestic affairs.

Speaking to local newspaper Haveeru on Thursday (February 14), Home Minister Mohamed Jameel said attempts by any country to prevent a person from facing charges pressed by an independent Prosecutor General (PG), could be described as interfering with domestic matters of a sovereign state.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Jameel implied that India was meddling in the Maldives’ internal affairs: “What’s happening now gives us an indication of the extent and level of interest some countries prepared to take in our internal matters,” he said.

“I would strongly urge everyone to let our institutions deal with the challenges, allow Maldives to uphold rule of law,” he tweeted.

A statement released by India’s Ministry of External Affairs following the development called on the government of Maldives to facilitate an inclusive election in which all political party leaders could take part.

“Now that the President of the Election Commission of Maldives has announced that Presidential elections would be held on 7 September 2013, it is necessary that the Presidential nominees of recognised political parties be free to participate in the elections without any hindrance. Prevention of participation by political leaders in the contest would call into question the integrity of the electoral process, thereby perpetuating the current political instability in Maldives,” read the statement.

The United States, United Kingdom, UN, EU and Commonwealth have all followed India‘s lead and stressed the need for the next presidential election to be an inclusive election.

Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has maintained that the charges are a politically-motivated attempt to prevent him contesting the 2013 elections.

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31,000 new voters eligible to vote in upcoming presidential elections: Elections Commission

The Elections Commission (EC) has revealed that approximately 31,000 new voters will be eligible to cast their vote in the upcoming presidential elections, scheduled to be held on September 7.

Speaking to Minivan News on Sunday, Vice President of Elections Commission Ahmed Fayaz said that the number of eligible voters currently stands at 240,302 – 31,008 more than the number of eligible voters in the 2008 presidential elections (209,294).

“We are currently working on the voters list and it will be announced next month,” he said.

Fayaz said that the commission will in March also open registration for voters who are currently not residing on the island where they are initially registered to vote.

“This is a very large election. Usually, people are unable to register when the period given for registration is too short. That is why we decided to open registration in March,” he said.

According to President of Elections Commission Fuad Thaufeeq, eligible voters include 123,565 male voters and 116,737 female voters, however this was subject to change, he said.

The commission will formally declare the start of campaign season in July. However, all major political parties including the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), and government-aligned parties such as the Jumhoree Party (JP), Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) and current President Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s Gaumee Ithiaad Party (GIP)  have all begun their presidential campaign. The PPM is meanwhile scheduled to hold its primaries by the end of February.

Previously, the Elections Commission expressed concern over the lack of sufficient funding given to the Elections Commission and warned that if additional funds are not made available, it will be unable to hold a presidential election this year.

Speaking to Minivan News at the time, Thaufeeq said holding the nationwide elections would cost between MVR 55-60 million (US$3.57-3.89 million). However, he expressed concern that the commission’s current budget would be insufficient.

“With the current budget given to the Elections Commission, I am afraid we may not be able to hold the elections. The commission has raised concerns with the Finance Minister, the President’s Office and Parliament’s Public Finance Committee,” he said.

EC president added that Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad had told the commission to carry out its work with the current budget allocated, claiming that the government would “somehow find a way” to provide financial support to the commission.

Thaufeeq also said a budget shortfall may “slightly impact” the fairness of the elections, but said the commission would do everything it could to ensure the elections were free and fair.

Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad also said that the government would provide assistance to the commission in facilitating the elections.

“We will provide sufficient funds to hold elections. There is no question about it,” he said at the time.

In April 2012, the US government pledged to provide US$500,000 (Rf7.7 million) as assistance for an elections program intended to support Maldivian institutions in ensuring a free and fair presidential election.

Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Colombo, Valerie Fowler, said at the time that the funding would be made available from July 2012.

The US would lend any support, including technical assistance, to ensure the next presidential election in the Maldives is conducted “smoothly and observed the rule of law”, Fowler said.

“Through USAID we are in the process of starting an election program that will assist Maldivian institutions in ensuring a free and fair presidential election. We have allocated US$500,000 to start that process and anticipate that we can begin as soon as July 2012,” she noted at the time.

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