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Comment: ‘Mega-loot’ – the murky and frightening sale of MACL

In my previous article in this column, I raised eight pertinent questions about the Waheed Government’s plan to sell 40 percent shares in MACL to Maldivian companies and individuals.

Does the proposed sale maintain economic sovereignty or undermines it?
Is the sale of MACL shares really an economic necessity in the current context?
What is the reason why the sale has to be conducted within a span of 7 days?
Why is there an absolute silence on the valuation of MACL shares?
Does Waheed have any moral or constitutional authority to make this decision?
Why is there absolute secrecy on issues such as the process to be followed for the sale?
Is the timing of this transaction appropriate or is it designed to suit vested interests?
Are we seeing a repeat of a series of shady transactions in the aviation space like Mamigili Airport lease extension and sale of Gan Airport to the Champa Group?

My conclusion based on a detailed review of each of these questions was that this proposed sale of MACL shares has all the elements of a big scam and that the Waheed government is going ahead with it brazenly.

Since then, the Privatisation Board has come out with a strongly-worded statement that the only prerogative to manage the privatisation process for government owned companies lies with itself.

Strangely, the board hasn’t even been contacted as yet for anything related to the proposed sale of MACL shares. Vice Chairperson of the Privatisation Board Mohamed Yasir quoted specific sections of the law that gives power to the privatisation board to decide on which companies to privatise, what should be the fair process, what should be the fair valuation as well as the process of establishing the same through an independent expert.

The above statements highlight the audacity of the attempt being made by Waheed government at this mega-loot. I have raised the question of Waheed’s moral and constitutional authority earlier. It now seems that that Waheed Government hasn’t even been acting within its legal authority on this issue. As per the process laid out in law, such privatisation of a government asset should be managed by the Privatization Board after getting Majlis approval for the same. I understand, based on discussions with people who are in the know of things that Waheed has set up a Special Committee headed by Azima Shakoor to manage the process for sale of MACL shares. In essence, rather than having the Privatisation Board and the Majlis take decisions and manage the process, it is the Special Committee headed by Azima Shakoor, Economic Committee of the cabinet and the MACL Board which have been asked to take decisions and manage the process. This is a constitutional transgression by an outgoing government, which certainly needs to be stopped in the tracks.

As a matter of fact, the ‘decision’ by Economic Committee of the cabinet is illegal to start with, since it is not authorised by law to make that decision and at best, they could have put forward a proposal to the board highlighting all the economic arguments and analysis in support of the proposal.

What is also most interesting to note here is the fact that an economic decision by the cabinet is not implemented by the Finance Minister but by the Attorney General, who is supposed to be the legal advisor to the government. So much so that the government’s Finance Minister doesn’t even have the authorisation to answer any questions related to this issue and he has been diverting all questions towards Azima Shakoor. It is not the Attorney General’s mandate to head committees which implement a major economic policy decision of the government. That the Attorney General is heading the committee also says a lot about what is going on – it clearly indicates that Waheed government’s focus is on ensuring that they get away with this sale without any legal hurdles rather than ensuring that government gets the right economic value for its asset.

It is difficult to understand the rush for selling MACL shares by a government that will have no constitutional validity three weeks from now. This level of urgency in selling off government assets may have been called for had we been in very severe economic trouble with an imminent risk of sovereign default or any other comparably dire situation. Fortunately for the Maldives, such a desperate situation hasn’t arisen as yet and this level of urgency behind the rushed sale process is certainly suspicious and needs to be investigated deeply.

Moreover, divesting a state asset is a significant economic policy decision. In most democratic countries across the world, and our democracy is modeled on principles from such stable democracies, there is a code of conduct put in place in light of a pending election. For example, as soon as the elections are announced in India, which is typically 6-8 weeks before the election date, a code of conduct comes in place which prohibits the government from making any new decisions or even undertaking activities such as laying foundation stones for projects! For these 6-8 weeks, the government in power is barred from making any new decisions and only has to focus on implementing the already ongoing initiatives. However, we have a case here where an out-going President is making and implementing a major economic policy decision one week before Presidential elections and only three weeks before he is certain to remit office.

As an unelected President, Waheed has made a number of significant economic decisions about our national assets in the last 1.5 years and has got them wrong, which will have a significant bearing on the country in the times to come. He allowed the sale of two seaplane operators to a single monopoly player but never cared to assess the implications of letting a critical part of Maldives’ tourism value chain be totally controlled by a single entity with now unchallenged power over the entire tourism sector. Much of the tourism industry has already highlighted how the sale of sea plane operations to a single monopoly player is posing an increasing threat to the viability of many resorts.

He also unilaterally cancelled the GMR concession agreement without caring to understand the potential future costs of the decision on future generations and the available trade-offs. Early indications are that the GMR arbitration is not going too well for Waheed government and we may potentially be looking at a huge claim from GMR by next year, which will ultimately have to be paid for by taxpayers like you and me.

He may no longer be the President in three weeks but he is doing all he can to make one final and the most outrageous raid on the Maldives exchequer to satisfy his and his cronies’ insatiable thirst for our national resources. All the early warning signals are there and enough alarms have been raised well in time for all the relevant independent institutions such as ACC, Privatisation Board and the Judiciary to take note of this mega-scam-in-the-making. It will be a significant failure of Maldivian institutions and even the Maldivian people if an unelected head of government is allowed to get away with this significant a loot, bypassing all the regulations and laws laid out in our constitution.

All comment pieces are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write an opinion piece, please send proposals to [email protected]

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MDP, PPM, JP host final campaign rallies amidst uncertainties of election day proceeding

Candidates contesting in the fresh round of presidential elections scheduled for October 19 held their final major rallies in capital city Male’ prior to election day, each expressing views about how Saturday’s voting may proceed.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which received the majority votes – 45.45% – in the now annulled September 7 first round held their rally at the open grounds near the tsunami monument, with several thousand supporters in attendance.

Candidate Mohamed Nasheed, his deputy Dr Mustafa Lutfi and the party’s Chairperson ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik were among those who addressed the rally, with key politicians from the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) including its leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali also speaking.

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) held its meeting in Dharubaaruge’s Dhoshimeyna Hall with approximately 600 supporters in attendance. In addition to the party’s presidential candidate Abdulla Yameen, his half-brother – PPM leader and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, vice-presidential candidate Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, current Minister of Tourism Ahmed Adheeb, as well as several MPs were in attendance.

Jumhooree Coalition held their rally in their campaign headquarters, Kunooz, with a similar turn-to the PPM’s rally. Besides Jumhooree Party (JP) leader and candidate Gasim Ibrahim, political leaders from various coalition partners spoke at the rally. This includes former Interim Deputy Leader of PPM Umar Naseer and Adhaalath Party (AP) leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla.

“On Saturday, people will re-ascertain their right to vote”: MDP candidate Nasheed

MDP presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed told the thousands of supporters gathered to hear his address that Saturday’s vote, in addition to electing him president, will also be the day that the people re-ascertain their constitutional right to elect a government for themselves.

“Citizens of Maldives desire reform, they want a system which will establish better living standards for themselves. They want a democratic system, to establish a government of the people through a vote. The people’s nature is leaning towards an election, towards change and to maintain democratic norms in the country. MDP is a party centred on development, it is a party which moves swiftly forward,” he stated.

“Important days are coming up in the life of the Maldives, with day after tomorrow being one of the most crucial days. This coming Saturday is the day on which through sheer determination and will the Maldivian people will re-establish their right to vote despite attempts by those involved in the 30 year autocratic regime trying to strip the people of this very fundamental right. It is the day when we will, God willing, win this election in one single round,” Nasheed said.

“For ages, Maldives has had a culture where elections are tampered with. We are still hearing the people from the 30 year regime speak of this philosophy of election tampering from their various political podiums. They claim that it is in the interests of the country, and for religion and nation, that they have been tampering with citizens’ votes. However, today the most important basis of our Constitution is the right to have a fair democratic election. Although there is a small number of people still trying to mess with the votes cast, the people are no longer willing to allow them to do so,” he continued.

“For the better part of two years we have been hearing the chants ‘where is my vote?’ and ‘we want elections now’. It is deeply set in our hearts that the ‘baaghees’ [traitors] have stolen our votes, that ‘baaghees’ have been treacherous towards our votes. Our citizens are not ready to lose these votes,” he said.

“Saturday’s election is not just about electing Kenereege Mohamed Nasheed as president. It is the day citizens regain their right to vote”.

Nasheed further echoed the various pledges outlined in the party’s “Costed and Budgeted Manifesto: 2013 – 2018”.

“We will restore lost individual rights”: PPM candidate Yameen

Meanwhile, PPM candidate Abdulla Yameen reiterated the party’s stance of proceeding with an election if the Elections Commission (EC) abides by the Supreme Court’s 16-point guideline.

“Together, we have decided to vote in a system that protects fundamental rights, and ensures a free, sincere vote to elect who they choose to be president,” Yameen said.

Yameen said the party has still not received the finalized voter registry and noted that party members continued to file complaints over re-registration.

According to the Supreme Court, every candidate is required to approve the voter registry for the election to proceed.

At a press conference on Thursday evening, the PPM had said it required 72 hours to approve the voter registry. The EC has given political parties until 6 am on Friday to sign the registry.

Yameen pledged to “restore lost individual rights” and said a PPM government would end arrest of political rivals and judges. The PPM will increase revenue, ensure a balanced budget, increase old age pensions to MVR5000 per month, and ensure fishermen were given an allowance of MVR10,000 in low season, Yameen said.

“We will bring you development like you’ve never seen before. Development is certain with us,” he said.

Speaking of challenges the PPM had faced during the campaign, Yameen said the party had not had enough time to circulate the party’s manifesto.

PPM published its manifesto only four days before the annulled first round of presidential elections held on September 7.

“Main concern is the voters’ registry; if it’s satisfactory will proceed with elections”: JP candidate Gasim

The JP rally also consisted of nearly 600 supporters, with leadership figures from the coalition including former PPM interim deputy leader Umar Naseer, AP leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla, AP deputy leader Dr. Mauroof Hassan, former Defence Minister Tholhath Ibrahim Kaleyfaan filling the front lines.

JP Candidate Gasim Ibrahim stated that among the 16 points provided by the SC, the key concern for the party was the one regarding the voters’ registry, adding that this is where problems had risen for him even in the first round of elections on September 7.

“We had to go to court after these problems arose because the EC refused to cooperate and address our concerns. I want to call upon the EC to refrain from doing so this time around. I’d like to request the EC to work closely with us citizens considering that this is to do with citizens’ vote. This approach will be what is in the best interests of this country,” Gasim said.

“If we do get to vote on Saturday, it must only be under an assurance from observers and other relevant administrative authorities that the election will proceed in a manner that we too can readily accept, otherwise we will end up with the same issues as the previous round.”

Gasim addressed the party’s monitors, advising them on key issues to ‘keep a keen eye on during voting hours’, saying “As there hasn’t been very many elections here, people are not well-trained on how it should go. We must be vigilant at all times and keep an eye out to see if any voter tries to keep his hand in his pocket nonchalantly and then pull out and try to drop in an extra ballot paper while casting the vote. We must keep watch and see if they try to mix up anything during the counting of votes. And we must get close enough to be able to see if, after counting, they are placing the correct number against our names. We know the EC has previously committed such acts, where they mix up runner-ups and those who come third”.

Gasim stated that the party will “accept elections readily if it is conducted in accordance with the guidelines issued by the SC” and that the party is ready to proceed with voting once they are “absolutely certain that the voter registry satisfactorily meets our standards”.

“I want to say that we need not reveal what we will do if we come third, as we will not end up in that slot again. We can make decisions about that once we reach that situation, as I am certain that the different parties in our coalition will have their own different views about this. There is no rush, it’s not like we are a soul caught in a life or death situation.”

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Elections Commission confident of preparations for October 19 election, compliance with Supreme Court guidelines

The Elections Commission (EC) has said it has complied with all guidelines issued by the Supreme Court following its annulment of the September 7 election, and is confident it will be prepared for the presidential election this Saturday October 19.

In compliance with the guidelines the EC said it had collaborated with 28 state institutions, particularly the police, Department of National Registration (DNR) and National Centre for Information Technology (NCIT), and was currently processing complaints received regarding the recompiled the voters list based on the DNR’s registry.

New ballot boxes had been introduced for the Male municipality, while all elections officials had been vetted and retrained according to the Supreme Court’s guidelines. New security features had been included on the ballot papers while the NCIT had advised the commission on its database.

Media would be allowed to use reporting equipment to cover the election following the Supreme Court’s supplemental ruling on October 12.

“Most of the work is done. What remains is [parties] approving the voter registry, and sending off ballot boxes and papers,” said EC member Ali Mohamed Manik during a press conference on Thursday evening.

“The most difficult challenge has been the time limit. We don’t have enough time to attend to everything as much as we would like to. It has been difficult for us and the public,” EC President Fuad Thowfeek said.

Following the Supreme Court’s midnight ruling on October 10 ordering the EC to redo the entire voter re-registration process, the commission received 70,000 re-registration forms in just a 24-hour period from voters wishing to vote a location other than their home island. 65,000 voters re-registered ahead of the annulled September 7 poll.

The election will involve 476 ballot boxes and 1500 voter lists, each between 15-20 pages long. Overseas lists will be prioritised, so that ballot boxes and papers can be shipped to locations on Friday morning. Police will provide security to local locations.

Most complaints received by the commission involved people being registered at locations other than those requested during re-registration, while some forms were rejected due to incomplete information.

“As soon as the database is clean and complaints are attended to, we will print the lists. We will invite candidate’s representatives to put their fingerprints and signatures,” Thowfeek said.

Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has already accepted the new list, noting that while the margin of error was higher at 0.61 percent, this was still “negligible”.

The party noted that the revised voter registry is based on the Department of National Registration (DNR)’s registry and lists 239,198 eligible voters, 395 fewer than the 239,593 in the annulled September 7 polls that saw an 88 percent voter turnout.

“When the voter list of 7 September 2013 compiled by the Election Commission is compared with the 19 October 2013 voter list compiled by the Election Commission with the Department of National Registration as its source, we find that there an additional 2258 ID cards,” the MDP noted in a statement today.

The MDP counted 62 people on the list as doubled or repeated, 0.03 percent of eligible voters, while 789 individuals turned 18 years of age between 7 September 2013 and 19 October 2013 and became eligible to vote.

“When the 789 children who turned 18 are subtracted from the additional ID cards (2,258) on the eligible voters list for 19 October 2013, we note that 1,469 persons have been added to the voters list in unclear circumstances. That is 0.61% of eligible voters,” the party noted.

“Despite noting the aforementioned matters, since the margin of error (0.61%) is negligible and because the Constitution of the Maldives states that there must be an elected President on 11 November 2013, the MDP has decided to accept the list and go ahead with the Presidential Election scheduled to be held on 19 October 2013.

“We believe the voter registry is correct and we are ready to vote with that list. If an election is not held on October 19, and a new president is not elected by [the end of the presidential term] November 11, we lose the constitution,” said former President Nasheed.

Jumhoree Party (JP) candidate Gasim Ibrahim said this afternoon that the party would verify the list as soon it was received.

“We do not have any intention to delay the election,” Gasim said, stating that there was no reason why the election should not be held on Saturday.

Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) Deputy Leader Abdul Raheem Abdulla said the party would ask the Elections Commission for 72 hours to check the registry, although the EC said during the press conference that it had not received such a request.

“We want the election to be held on the 19th, but with [the Supreme Court guidelines] completed. I do not believe it is possible for all candidates to sign a 10,000 page voter registry and hand over to the Elections Commission by sunset. The election cannot be held as per the Supreme verdict unless that list is handed over,” Raheem stated.

MDP candidate Nasheed tweeted: “Once I receive the voter lists for each ballot box, it will not take me more than two hours for me to check and sign it.”

Elections Commission Fuwad Thowfeek said candidates were expected to sign each booklet, not every single page.

“I hope after so much work by the Elections Commission and the people of the country, candidates will sign it. They have seen how much work we have done and how much the public wants a vote,” said Thowfeek.

The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has meanwhile appealed to all eligible voters to take “individual responsibility” that the information on the voter registry was same as that on their identity cards, passports and licences.

“Voting is one of the most important opportunities in public participation in governance in a democracy. Use this right with independence, and without influence,” HRCM stated, calling on all political parties to support a successful election and not obstruct the voting process.

The President’s Office issued a statement ordering the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure the relevant institutions under the Ministry of Home Affairs “conduct matters relating to the first round of presidential elections to be held on 19 October 2013, freely and fairly as per the guidelines delineated by the Supreme Court.”

The JP, PPM and MDP were meanwhile holding rallies tonight ahead of the final day of campaigning.

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Three arrested in connection with Raajje TV attack

Three individuals have been arrested in relation to last week’s attack on Raajje TV, local media has reported.

The suspects are aged 18, 21, and 24 and police are said to be searching for more people involved in the attack that destroyed the station’s premises on Boduthakurufaanu Magu in Male’.

Six assailants were seen committing the attack on CCTV, which included the stabbing of a security guard.

The role of the police in the attack was criticised by Reporters Without Borders who urged the police to bring the arsonists to justice.

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“Personal Pledges”: JP Candidate Qasim Ibrahim vows to fulfill wishes from individuals

Jumhooree Party (JP) leader and presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim launched a new pledge on Tuesday – three days ahead of the re-scheduled election – titled ‘Personal Pledges’, vowing to provide each citizen with a “more dignified life”.

Speaking at a press conference held to reveal the new pledge Gasim’s coalition partner, former interim Deputy President of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Umar Naseer – stated that the new pledge would “benefit and be a long-term advantage to every individual Maldivian citizen without any discrepancies between one another”.

Naseer stated that the JP candidate is currently sending letters to members of the electorate detailing the new pledge. Along with the letter, a form with a list of applicable pledges that citizens can request is to be sent to each citizen, which needs to be filled out and returned to the JP campaign offices.

“If you beloved citizens, God willing, elect me as President in this year’s presidential election, I pledge to fulfill one or more of the pledges listed in this letter preferred by each citizen so as to ensure a dignified and respectable life for every citizen,” the letter reads.

It then goes on to state that, if elected, Gasim would assign “an annual amount of MVR1.5 billion from the state budget to fulfill these personal pledges in accordance to a law or regulation which will be passed to support the matter”.

The categories in the attached list are: aid/loans, advance to newly begin building houses, purchasing of flats, costs to complete houses, materials needed for a household, funds to start-up a business, funds to expand a business, course fees/tuition fees/school fees, funds to receive treatment abroad for permanent illnesses, repayment of loans, repayment of debts, and payment of house rent.

It ends with an additional column titled ‘other’, which, according to Naseer, can be used to request for anything not already listed in the form.

However, the party does not detail – either in the letter or the press conference – any application for the deadline.

JP Spokesperson Moosa Ramiz said that this was done deliberately so as to let the electorate know that if Gasim is elected, their requests will be processed even if submitted at any time in his five year term.

“The thing is, we will only be able to fulfill the pledges if we win the elections and come to power. And so we decided to not specify dates as the people can continue submitting their ‘Personal pledges’ at any point in time during Gasim’s five year term,” Ramiz said.

“Now, once elected, it doesn’t matter to us who is submitting a request – whether it is someone who voted for Gasim or not. We will fulfill their wishes regardless of who they might have voted for,” he continued.

“We are getting an extraordinary amount of support for this pledge. I don’t know yet what the exact number of submissions are, but I am confident that we can tell just by using commonsense that such a pledge will be receiving immense support. After all, for over 30 years even to date, the average Maldivian citizen cannot make ends meet, even married couples are unable to find time to sleep together as they are forced to share rooms with children due to population congestion. Therefore, I am sure this pledge is being very well-received,” he stated.

Elections Commission Secretary General Asim Abdul Sattar told Minivan News today that the pledge has not been brought to the commission’s attention. He further said, if it the matter is submitted as an official complaint to the commission, it would investigate whether the failure to provide a deadline to submit pledges by citizens exerts undue influence on the elections.

An official from the Anti Corruption Commission, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the commission members “wished to refrain from commenting on the matter at the current time”.

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Indian foreign secretary arrives in Male’ ahead of poll

India’s Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh has arrived in the Maldives today ahead of Saturday’s re-scheduled presidential election.

A press release from the Indian High Commission said that Ms Singh “strongly urged all parties to accept the results of elections to enable a smooth transfer of power and reconciliation post elections.”

Indian media has reported that Singh’s presence in Male’ is intended to stop political parties from derailing the election process.

The Indian Express described the secretary’s trip south as “her first crisis management assignment” after taking the post in August.

Singh met with Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) candidate Mohamed Nasheed at midday today inside the Indian High Commission.

Speaking to the media afterwards, former President Nasheed explained that the Indian Foreign Secretary believed the election would go ahead this weekend, and that there must be a new president in office by November 11.

The High Commission’s press release revealed that Singh had also met with Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and incumbent President Dr Mohamed Waheed.

“Ms. Sujatha Singh reiterated India’s call for free, fair, inclusive and credible elections in a peaceful environment fulfilling the democratic aspirations of the people of Maldives,” the statment read.

“She expressed the hope and expectation that the electoral process would proceed as scheduled with the first round to be held on October 19, and if required, the second round before November 3 so that a new President is sworn in on November 11 as stipulated by the constitution of Maldives.”

The constitutionally mandated deadline has been a source of concern for many who have argued that the country may enter a constitutional void should a new president not be installed by November 11.

However, the Supreme Court’s judgement stipulated that, even if a new president was unable to be sworn in on conclusion of the current term, the “principle of continuity of legitimate government would override any repercussions faced by failure to adhere to constitutional deadlines.”

Singh’s arrival in Male’ adds to the significant international presence in the capital as the polling date approaches.

Elections Commissioner Fuwad Thowfeek told Minivan News last weekend that he had been in discussions with the UK, the German, and the US ambassadors.

Thowfeek explained that the German and US ambassadors were currently in the country, whilst Indian, EU, and Commonwealth representatives were said to have been on their way.

The Commonwealth delegation is also understood to have arrived in Male’ today.

The Supreme Court’s decision to annul the first round contradicted the positive assessments of more than a thousand local and international election observers.

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Abdulla Yameen never destined to become president, says rival candidate Gasim

Resort tycoon and Jumhooree Party (JP) presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim has said that fellow candidate Abdulla Yameen – who is contesting in the presidential poll as the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate – will never be able to secure enough popular support to become the next president.

The Supreme Court’s decision to annul the first round of presidential elections came as a result of a petition filed by the JP, in which the party claimed the election had been flawed due to a number of discrepancies and irregularities in the voting process that amounted to a “systematic failure”.

Gasim’s new verbal attacks on Yameen came in a JP campaign rally held in Kanditheemu Island, Shaviyani Atoll, last night (October 16).

Speaking during the rally, the businessman-turned-politician told his supporters that Yameen had only won the PPM presidential primaries held earlier this year with the help of some 7,000 fraudulent votes he obtained by infiltrating opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) members into PPM ahead of the party’s internal election.

During the PPM primaries held earlier in March, Yameen edged out former PPM Interim Vice President Umar Naseer, taking 13,096 votes out of the total 20,546 votes cast in the party poll.

Challenging the elections result, citing electoral fraud, corruption and violence, Naseer subsequently filed a lawsuit at the Civil Court challenging the outcome of the poll. However, the Civil Court rejected the case and saw Naseer expelled from the PPM for “sowing discord amongst the party flanks”.

Yameen – who is the half-brother of Maldives’ former autocratic ruler Maumoon Abdul Gayoom – meanwhile dismissed all the allegations, while Naseer subsequently backed Gasim Ibrahim in the presidential poll.

Addressing yesterday’s rally, Gasim stated that the reason Yameen would not be able to garner the popular support of the people was that people had still not forgotten their mistreatment under Gayoom’s reign, in which Yameen had been a central figure.

Gasim also responded to the PPM’s allegations that he was “stuck” under the influence of advisers sympathetic to his political rivals, namely the MDP. He said that Yameen and the PPM making such remarks was due to the fact that he had refused to declare his support for Yameen in the event of a run-off duel between Yameen and MDP candidate Mohamed Nasheed.

He alleged that Yameen had been making such remarks to cover up his poor presidential campaign, during which he had failed to even visit the majority of the islands in the country.

“A mu’min cannot be bitten twice from one hole; hence I shall never support Nasheed”: Gasim

The resort tycoon also brushed off the ongoing public speculation that he would back Nasheed in a similar case of a run-off election.

The speculations began after Nasheed had a private meeting with Gasim Ibrahim in his own residence last month. Nasheed after the meeting told the press that they had met to discuss “discussed matters of national interest and maintaining stability and public order”.

“As I have said before, a Mu’min (Arabic terminology for pious Muslim) cannot be bitten twice from one hole. That is a narration of Prophet Muhammad. May Allah never show us a day where I would work to help [Nasheed] win the presidency,” Gasim told the rally.

Explaining the reason why he had backed Nasheed in 2008 presidential election – which Nasheed went onto win in the run-off election to become the fourth president of Maldives – was because he wanted to establish good governance and democratic principles in the country.

However, the Chairman of Villa Group said that it had been a “terrible” decision that ultimately caused more grief to the people.

The JP candidate also accused Nasheed of promoting Yameen over him in the presidential election because “Nasheed knows he would swiftly win the presidency should Yameen be contesting him in a possible run-off election”.

“If Abdulla Yameen goes to the second position, [Nasheed] knows he would easily win the second round of elections. If Gasim Ibrahim gets to the second or first position, he knows he must bow down saying bye-bye and good-bye to presidency,” Gasim told his supporters.

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MDP will sign voter registry ahead of polling, rival parties undecided

Additional reporting by Zaheena Rasheed

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) will accept the modified voter registry despite minor irregularities in order to ensure the re-run of the annulled 2013 presidential election goes ahead as scheduled on Saturday (October 19).

Following the Supreme Court’s annulment of the first round of the presidential election held September 7, the Elections Commission (EC) had been given less than 12 days to prepare for the repeat poll.

The Supreme Court ordered the EC to discard the commission’s voter registry and use the Department of National Registration’s (DNR) database to compile a new registry. In an additional midnight ruling on Thursday (October 11), the court ordered the EC to re-start the entire voter re-registration process.

Despite the expedited timeline, with a window of less than one day to re-register, more than 60,000 people submitted the new fingerprint forms to vote in the first round – just 5000 short of the 65,000 who re-registered ahead of the annulled September 7 poll.

The EC is still in the process of re-registering voters and has repeatedly extended the deadline for complaints with the newest deadline being 4:00 pm today.

The EC has said the final voter registry will be sent to political parties tonight and representatives will be given until sunrise on Friday to approve the registry.

The commission has said it normally requires 45-60 days of preparation to hold a presidential election in accordance with the Maldives’ constitution and general elections law.

In a statement released today, the MDP noted a decrease of 395 names in the October 19 registry when compared to the September 7 list. The 7 September registry contained 239,593 names, while the October 19 registry contains 239,198 names.

The MDP highlighted 62 instances of repeated names and the addition of 789 new voters who had come of age. The party said the DNR had issued 2258 new identity cards, and when the new eligible voters are deducted from the number, there were 1469 people added to the voters list in “unclear circumstances.”

MDP candidate former President Mohamed Nasheed – the frontrunner of the now defunct poll held on September 7 – warned that a failure to hold on election on October 19 and to swear in a democratically elected head of state by November 11 would invalidate the constitution.

“We believe the voter registry is correct and we are ready to vote with that list,” he stated.

Rival candidates representing the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and Jumhooree Party (JP) have meanwhile expressed concern about the accuracy of the new voter registry, despite accepting the need for an election to be held as soon as possible.

JP and PPM still concerned

The JP yesterday raised concerns about re-registration, with the party’s own representative on the EC Advisory Committee accusing the MDP of being able to access the commission’s servers and directly register its own candidates – compromising the system.

The party said it had filed a complaint with police over its allegations, demanding law enforcement officials address the concerns it had raised, according to local media.

Police have confirmed that an investigation was being conducted into allegations raised by the PPM and JP, though Police Spokesperson Chef Inspector Hassan Haneef was not responding to calls at time of press.

JP Deputy Leader Dr Ibrahim Didi and spokesperson Moosa Ramiz were not responding to requests for information on the allegations at time of press.

PPM MP Ahmed Nihan today said the party was committed to doing “everything possible” to ensure the re-run of the 2013 presidential election scheduled for Saturday (October 19) goes ahead.

He argued that the PPM nonetheless remained concerned over “lots of issues” that had arisen as a result of the short timeframe given to the EC to amend the eligible voter list. He pointed to a system crash that occurred during registration on Sunday (October 13), said to have resulted from a large volume of data provided.

The technical issue, which had resulted in data having to be manually entered into the system for a two hour period, led to the EC accusing some supporters of the PPM and its coalition partners of obstructing its work during the day, with police criticised for failing to help remove protesters for at least five hours.

Nihan accused the EC of failing to correctly address issues of double voting and deceased and underage voters included in the registry ahead of the now defunct polls held September 7, but said that the EC had shown this week it did have the capacity to deal with alleged issues in the voter registry.

“If the election that is held next Saturday October 19 goes ahead, we believe the percentage of rigged votes would be far less,” he stressed.

However, Nihan said that with EC once again extending the deadline to receive complaints about the recomposed registry, a decision by the PPM on whether to proceed with Saturday’s polls would be held was expected in the next 24 hours.

Speaking at a PPM press conference yesterday (September 16), Mohamed Tholal, a party member on the EC’s advisory board questioned the capability of commission to address issues raised with re-registration this week leading to a number of deadline extensions.

“If the forms were not processed because of the seven hour delay, then they should be done by now” he said.

The PPM also accused the EC of rejecting some forms it had submitted without providing an opportunity to address issues.

Both the PPM and coalition party the Maldivan Development Alliance (MDA) meanwhile on Tuesday (September 15) questioned whether an election could go ahead as scheduled on Saturday due to a lack of time to finalise the list.

“I believe the security forces have to take action. If they do not abide by the Supreme Court [verdict’s] spirit to allow every citizen the right to vote, this issue must be looked into,” the MDA’s Ahmed Amir was quoted as saying in local media at the time.

Ali Ahmed Manik of the EC meanwhile said he hoped that the three candidates representing the MDP, PPM and JP in Saturday’s election would agree to sign the registry for polling to commence on schedule.

“We have already sent a list to all the candidates,” Manik was quoted as saying in local newspaper Haveeru. “Re-registration will be added to that. So they can check our list even now. We will be able to submit a final list when [re-registration] is completed. I think the presidential candidates will do this for us.”

Despite the allegations, Elections Commissioner Fuwad Thowfeek has expressed confidence polling would go ahead as scheduled on Saturday, despite not everything being within the commission’s control.

“We are giving our maximum effort to reach the deadline. No rest, no sleep, two hours [maximum]. We were working 24 hours straight, then 36, now 48. Our officials are doing everything humanly possible. International observers are even surprised [at the intensive effort put forth],” said Thowfeek.

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‘Toxic bomb’ ticks on Maldives rubbish island: AFP

“Descending by plane into the Maldives offers a panoramic view of azure seas and coral-fringed islands, but as the tarmac nears, billowing smoke in the middle distance reveals an environmental calamity,” writes the AFP.

“Thilafushi Island, a half-hour boat trip from the capital, is surrounded by the same crystal clear waters and white sand that have made the Indian Ocean archipelago a honeymoon destination for the rich and famous.

But no holidaymaker sets foot here and none could imagine from their plane seats that the rising smoke is the waste from residents and previous visitors being set alight by men like 40-year-old Fusin.

A migrant from Bangladesh, he is one of several dozen employees on “Rubbish Island” — the biggest waste dump in the country where he’s paid $350 a month for 12-hour shifts, seven days a week.

With no safety equipment bar a pair of steel-capped boots, he clambers over a stinking mountain of garbage, eyes streaming and voice choked after four years’ exposure to thick, toxic fumes.

Beneath his feet lie the discards of the cramped capital Male’ and the local tourism industry that has helped turn the collection of more than 1,000 islands into the wealthiest country in South Asia.”

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