Tag: elections commission

Elections Commission begins preparation for 2013 presidential elections

The Elections Commission (EC) has launched a campaign to amend and update the voter registry in preparation for the upcoming presidential election in 2013.

According to a press release on the commission’s website, the campaign involves providing a list of eligible voters to every household in Male’.

The first phase of the campaign will target households in the Galolhu ward of the capital, during which a copy of registered voters of the household will be mailed through post on October 30 and 31.

The EC urged members of the public with a complaint regarding the registry to call the EC’s toll free number 1414.

The household registries would also be made available after verifying the house owner’s information through email, fax or the EC help desk. In addition to the EC office, a help desk has been set up at the Male’ City Council.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Majlis committee votes to change party registration and funding requirements

The parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee has voted to change the requirements concerning registration and state funding for political parties, according to the committee’s chair and Independent MP for Kulhudhufushi South Mohamed ‘Kutti’ Nasheed.

Writing in his personal blog (Dhivehi), MP Nasheed revealed that “a clear majority” of the committee voted in favour of requiring parties to gain 5000 members before it can be officially registered, and 10,000 members before becoming eligible for state funds. The current requirement is 3000 members for both under the current regulations governing political parties.

The requirements were stipulated in the draft legislation on political parties currently being reviewed by the committee.

Nasheed expressed confidence that the committee’s decision would not be overturned on the Majlis floor when the bill is put up for a vote.

“When the law is passed, the current registered parties with less than 5,000 members would be given a six month period to reach the figure. If a party fails to reach that figure by the end of the period, the particular party would be dissolved,” Nasheed explained.

The changes would currently impact upon President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s own Guamee Ittihad Party (GIP) which has only 2,538 members, as well the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) with 2,199 members.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

PPM claims 8000 membership applications rejected for “unclear fingerprints”

MP and Spokesperson for former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), Ahmed Mahloof, has told local media that close to 8000 membership forms from his party have been rejected by the Elections Commission (EC).

Stating that the Elections Commission’s main basis for rejection were the fingerprints on the forms not being up to standards, Mahloof claimed that this was because the EC did not have modern machinery to look at the fingerprints and relied on the staffs’ perception.

Mahloof further stated that the party may have to lodge the case in court, as the issue leads to reduction in number of party members and causes financial loss to the party. He said that he believed this to be discrimination against his party.

While the latest figures on the Elections Commission website shows PPM to have 17,403 members and 650 pending applications, Mahloof claimed that the party’s actual membership was close to 30,000.

Meanwhile, Vice President of Elections Commission Ahmed Fayaz told Minivan News today that similar complaints had been received from other political parties, the including Jumhoree Party, Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP), and the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

“Party membership forms go through a 50 step verification process. We are doing this to minimise chances of fraud. After we introduced this procedure, we are no longer receiving any complaints from individuals who have been placed in parties without their knowledge,” Fayaz said.

Fayaz said that it was true that the Elections Commission did not have machinery to verify fingerprints. However, he said that the commission forwarded complaints to the Maldives Police Service, who would use their resources to look into the matter.

Fayaz also confirmed that membership forms submitted by different parties were most often rejected due to fingerprints of applicants being unclear. He said they were unable to accept forms unless there was a clear fingerprint marked on it, since the MPS would rely on that should a complaint be lodged in future.

The Elections Commission plans to set up its own fingerprint verification system in the near future.

PPM Spokesperson Ahmed Mahloof and Interim Deputy Leader Umar Naseer were not responding to calls at the time of press.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Director General of Elections Commission alleges political motivations behind dismissal

The recently dismissed Director General of the Elections Commission (EC), Ahmed Tholal, has alleged that his removal is related to his participation in a strike earlier this year which had questioned the impartiality of certain commission members.

Following his dismissal Tholal took to Twitter, suggesting that his dismissal was politically motivated.

“The reason for my dismissal is to retaliate because we protested, and also because votes cannot be rigged at 2013 Elections if we are there,” he tweeted.

“On March 20, the Elections Commission staff protested. I believe this is the reason for my dismissal,” he told Minivan News. “I received a chit saying  that I’ve been dismissed yesterday because I have another post.”

“I am President of the Athletics Association – that is not a job, that is a social responsibility,” he added.

Tholal explained that he had been on the executive committee of the Athletics Association since 2004 and had been promoted to chair of the committee in July this year.

The strike in question, which included 45 EC employees, demanded better remuneration for staff as well as the resignation of three of the five members of the commission who were accused of acting with bias and in violation of EC regulations.

“They have not been following rules and regulations,” said Tholal. “I fight for the right thing, always – I always tell them they have to follow the regulations.”

He noted that the three commissioners in question – Mohamed Farooq, Ali Mohamed Manik and Ogaru Ibrahim Waheed – were still on the commission.

Tholal also pointed out that other staff members who had taken part in the protest had faced repercussions. He noted that a fellow Director General had been demoted and the Human Resources Director dismissed.

“I will fight for my rights,” said Tholal.

The right to strike is protected by Article 31 of the Maldivian constitution.

Secretary General of Elections Commission, Asim Abdul Sattar, denied that Tholal’s dismissal was politically motivated, arguing that Tholal had acted against the rules of the commission.

“It is against the rules of the commission to have any other job, whether paid or not, it is a conflict of interest,” said Sattar.

Sattar also said that the March strike had mainly been about money and that the issue had now been settled.

He explained that the decision had taken one and a half months to be made, although Tholal has claimed his dismissal came without warning.

Independent institutions such as the EC have come under increasing scrutiny once more following the release of the Commission of National Inquiry’s final report (CNI).

This week has seen prominent members of both the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) and the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) question the ability of their own institutions to fulfil their mandates.

Transparency Maldives’ Aiman Rasheed suggested that weak and unassertive institutions must take some of the blame for the events of February 7 and the surrounding political crises.

“The independent institutions need to step up their game by standing for and protecting the values for which they were constituted,” said Aiman.

Although the EC was not specifically mentioned in the final CNI report, it has been mentioned as an institution in need of strengthening by prominent members of the government.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon told the BBC in April that the EC was too weak to withstand the rigours of an early election campaign.

This charge was dismissed at the time by EC President Fuad Thawfeeq and, when asked today about the need to strengthen the commission, Sattar was equally confident.

“We have a good system but we feel there is always need for improvement and capacity building,” he said.

“For any constitutional elections, we will be given two months – we will be able to do it,” said Sattar.

When asked the same question, Tholal suggested that the key to strengthening the EC was to change some of the body’s members.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

JP, MDP share spoils of island council by-elections

Candidates of the former ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and government-aligned Jumhoree Party (JP) won by-elections yesterday for vacant seats in the island councils of Alif Dhaal Hagnameedhoo and Alif Alif Mathiveri.

JP and MDP candidates went head to head in both by-elections, which were not contested by other parties or independent candidates. While MDP candidate Ahmed Firaq won in Hagnameedhoo, JP candidate Ali Riza Mohamed emerged victorious in Mathiveri.

In Hagnameedhoo, Firaq won with 190 votes (52 percent) against JP contender Ibrahim Naseer Adam, who received 178 votes (48 percent).

JP’s Riza meanwhile won the Mathiveri council seat with 250 votes (54 percent) while MDP candidate Ali Risham came second with 212 votes (46 percent).

Following the victories, leaders of both parties congratulated the winning candidates. JP President Dr Ibrahim Didi expressed confidence in winning future elections and praised the party’s “strong” leadership as the main reason for the success.

MDP Chairperson ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik congratulated MDP’s winning candidate Firaq and expressed gratitude to Hagnaameedhoo islanders as well as the party members who worked in the campaign.

Yesterday’s result showed that “the people of Hagnameedhoo are opposed to the coup, have political foresight and make decisions wisely,” the Hulhu-Henveiru MP said.

Noting that MDP only received nine votes from Hagnameedhoo in the first round of the presidential election in 2008, Moosa said yesterday’s results represented the party’s growing strength and support.

The Mathiveri island council seat was vacated in November 2011 after a councillor elected on a Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) ticket quit the party. Under the Decentralisation Act, councillors who leave their party are stripped of their seats. The Hagnameedhoo seat was vacated after a councillor resigned due to poor health.

In the February 2011 council elections, four independent candidates and one JP candidate were elected for the five-member Hagnameedhoo island council while four DRP candidates and one MDP candidate were elected to the Mathiveri island council.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam reported to be forming political party

Independent MP for Meedhoo constituency and chairman of the Sun Travel Group Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam Mohamed is reported to be establishing his own political party under the title of the ‘Maldives Development Alliance’.

Local newspaper Haveeru has reported that more than one hundred people attended a meeting held at the Nalahiya Hotel in Male’ last night during which the formation of the party was discussed.

Shiyam was unavailable for comment at the time of press.

The President of the Elections Commission (EC) Fuad Thaufeeq said that he had not yet received any information on the new party. Haveeru said that the registration process was set to begin within a week.

A member of the EC stated that, in order to register a political party, a written request must be submitted containing the names of 50 people who support the party’s formation. After this initial registration, the party is given one year to gain a minimum of 3000 members.

The largest political party in the Maldives, by membership, is the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) with around 48000 members, followed by the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) with around 27000, and then the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) with around 16000.

There are currently 15 political parties registered in the Maldives, although only six of these have maintained more than the minimum 3000 members.

In a leaked audio clip released earlier this year, Shiyam was heard criticising the former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the head of the Majlis’s minority leading party, the PPM.

In the clip, Shiyam discussed the diminishing trust in the former president with Gayoom’s half brother Abdulla Yameen. Yameen is currently the parliamentary group leader for the PPM.

Both men were heard denigrating Gayoom’s political support and warning against his running again for the presidency. Rumours that Gayoom would contest the next presidential election on behalf of the PPM have persisted.

Shiyam expressed disappointment with Gayoom’s refusal to issue him a diplomatic passport and give him land for a boat yard in industrial Thilafushi Island. “These are the only two favours I ever asked of Maumoon,” Shiyam said.

Shiyam was formerly a deputy leader of the DRP, the party formed by Gayoom in 2005 to contest the country’s first multi-party elections. The DRP splintered in 2011, resulting in the formation of the PPM.

In 2010, Shiyam was reported to have had the worst attendance record of any MP in the Majlis.

Rising political tensions in the country have resulted in a number of MPs switching parties, with the PPM and the Jumhooree Party (JP) benefitting from recent defections.

Tensions within the government’s ruling coalition yesterday saw members of the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) declare their alliance with the DRP to be over after members of the latter party supported a motion from the sole opposition party, the MDP, to debate police brutality in the Majlis.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Dr Didi “very likely” to leave MDP

In an interview with local newspaper Haveeru, former Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) President Dr Ibrahim Didi said he was considering his position with the MDP before saying that it was “very likely” he would be seen in another party.

“We have to leave, when the time to leave the party comes. I believe that the time has come for me,” Didi told Haveeru.

He added that he was currently discussing his decision with many people and, should he decide to leave, he would work for the party “which has the nation’s best interests at heart”.

Didi, who was unanimously voted out of his former position by the MDP’s national council on April 30, said that he had stayed with the party “in order to expose the undemocratic nature of the party’s inner workings.”

In the weeks since his deposition, Didi has challenged the legality of the process which brought about his removal. His complaint to the Elections Commission however was dismissed, a decision which he alleged to Haveeru “involved foul play.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Civil Court postpones MDP Raalhugandu trial until further notice from High Court

The Civil Court has decided to postpone the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s suit against police until further notice from the High Court, following the dismantling of the party’s protest campsite at ‘Raalhugandu’ on March 19.

The Civil Court’s decision followed a court order from High Court to postpone the trial until the Court had concluded a case lodged by the state challenging the legitimacy of MDP former President Dr Ibrahim Didi, according to local media outlets.

The State Attorney’s issue was that Dr Didi, who signed the form to file the case in the Civil Court, was elected as the president in accordance to an amended version of the MDP Charter which was not submitted to the Elections Commission (EC). That, the state contended, made the appointment illegitimate and Dr Didi ineligible to present the case to the court on behalf of MDP. As such, the state requested the trial be discontinued.

However, the Civil Court’s presiding judge decided that the laws did not state that the amended articles of the charter would be void if not presented to the Elections Commission, and decided to continue the trial.

The Attorney General (AG)’s Office then appealed the Civil Court’s decision to continue the trial. The High Court ordered the Civil Court to postpone the trial until it reached a conclusion.

A similar issue was raised by the State Attorney at the beginning of the trial of the case in which MDP Acting Chairperson and MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik signed the form to file the case in the Civil Court. The state at the time contended that Acting Chairpersons did not have the authority to file cases in court on behalf of MDP according to the MDP charter, and requested the court discontinue the trial.

The Civil Court then threw the case out of court. Then-President Dr Didi signed the form and resubmitted it to the Civil Court.

The MDP protest campsite at the ‘Raalhugandu’ area inside the Antenna Park, was granted to MDP by Male’ City Council, which  has a substantial MDP majority. The camp was dismantled by the police and military hours after President Dr Waheed Hassan Manik delivered his presidential address to parliament on March 19.

Many MDP supporters who had come to Male’ from the islands after the controversial transfer of power on February 7 had camped in the area.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Police request EC take action against MDP after “noise complaints”

Police have requested the Elections Commission (EC) take action against the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) after claiming to have received noise complaints following the party’s protest held on Wednesday outside the Supreme Court.

Police said the request was made last Thursday in a bid to “avoid such disturbances in the future”.

According to police statement, MDP protesters gathered in the area on Wednesday at about 2:00pm and were using loudspeakers which disturbed people praying at the mosque, people working at private and government offices in the area, and disrupted the work of the Supreme Court.

Police claimed this was against the political party code of ethics, and requested the Elections Commission take action against the MDP under the Political Parties Act.

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson and MP, Reeko ‘Moosa’ Manik, and MDP Spokesperson and MP Imthiyaz Fahmy, were not responding at time of press.

According to the party, the MDP gathered in front of Bandaara Mosque near the Supreme Court calling for an end to the prosecution of MDP supporters detained on charges of disobedience to order and obstruction of police duty, charges the party claimed were being used to throttle its freedom of assembly.

According to the party, the Prosecutor General (PG) has filed charges against 60 MDP members for obstruction of police duty during the party’s three-month series of protests.

The Criminal Court last Tuesday held hearings against 10 people charged with obstruction of police duty during an MDP rally on March 1.

Speaking to MDP members on Tuesday night, Nasheed said he was “concerned about the arrest and prosecution of protesters exercising their right to freedom of expression and assembly.”

He also condemned the charges against “peaceful” protesters while police and military officers who carried out the “coup” continued to remain free.

Elections Commissioner Fuad Thaufeeq did not respond at time of press.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)