Tag: Maldives Presidential Elections 2013

Police confirm no documents affecting election outcome found in EC’s trash

Chair of the Elections Commission (EC) Fuwad Thowfeek has rejected allegations from the Jumhooree Party that it had disposed of official documents relating to the presidential election, after police last night acted on the JP’s claim and barricaded the commission.

The JP came third in the September 7 election with 24 percent of the vote, narrowly missing out on a place in the run-off election.

Police barricaded the entrance to the EC secretariat in the early hours on Monday morning, after the JP alleged the commission was attempting to destroy documents “that would unveil discrepancies in the last elections”.

When Minivan News journalists arrived at the premises, police had barricaded the road which led to the EC’s office, and put up police lines around a couple of black plastic bags that had been intended to be thrown out as garbage.

EC officials – including the commission’s Secretary General Asim Abdul Sattar – were standing outside. Police officers in both uniform and civilian dress were standing outside the premises.

An official of the commission who was inside the building confirmed to Minivan News the police had not entered the building.

When asked about the trash bags left outside the premises, the official said nothing important was inside.

“Like every office, we too have papers that need to be thrown away. Those bags had just shredded waste paper. I don’t understand why people are making such a big fuss out of it,” the official told Minivan News.

At about 10:45am, a police truck came to the premises and took away the garbage.

A police media official confirmed to Minivan News that the trash bags were currently under police guard, and said they were now “processing” the bags.

“The case was reported to police by the Jumhooree Party (JP) and the police were present at the premises from the time the matter was reported,” the official confirmed.

In a subsequent press statement, police confirmed no documents that would affect election results were found among those disposed of by the elections commission.

Meanwhile Ibrahim Khaleel, Spokesperson for JP’s Presidential Candidate and resort tycoon Gasim Ibrahim, told Villa Television (VTV) – a station owned by Gasim – said the party had reported the matter to police around 3:00am in the morning.

Speaking to local newspaper Haveeru regarding the matter, EC President Fuwad Thowfeek said the commission used draft documents for administrative purposes, noting that such documents were unofficial documents that had no legal effect.

Thowfeek said the papers spotted in the trash bags were such draft documents and that this was not “something new”. Some of those papers, he said, would include empty envelopes.

“It is our legal duty to protect official documents relating to the elections. Those that people are claiming to have seen are just draft documents. Those were not used for any election purpose. We are very certain about that. We regularly throw away used papers and rough documents,” Thowfeek told Haveeru.

Thowfeek said he had learned that the trash bag may have included a slip issued after voter re-registration, and said this may have been thrown away.

The EC Chair also said the commission had given permission to police to check the contents of the trash bags in the presence of EC officials.

“We have informed the police that they can check the trash bags to assure themselves as to whether they contain any official documents relating to the election. We are looking after the documents regarding the presidential elections round the clock. We have not thrown away any official documents and the allegations levied against us are outright lies,” Thowfeek explained.

Thowfeek went onto claim that such allegations levied against the commission at such a critical time were made with the intent to undermine  public trust and confidence in the institution. Such baseless allegations would not deter the commission members from executing their legal duties, Thowfeek added.

“We assure you that we have not done and will not do anything to manipulate the outcome of any election. We will fully protect all documents relating to the elections and the voting process,” Thowfeek claimed.

The conduct of the election has been broadly praised by local and international election observers from Transparency Maldives, India and the Commonwealth, as well as observers from other nation states.

Local NGO Transparency Maldives – which ran the most comprehensive observation operation on the day – also announced prior to the release of the provisional results that none of the incidents reported on election day would have a “material impact on the outcome of the election”.

The UK and the EU have both issued statements praising the conduct of Saturday’s presidential election, describing them as “transparent and competitive”.

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High Court holds first hearing of Jumhooree Party’s case against Election Commission

The High Court has held the first hearing of the case filed by the Jumhooree Party (JP) against the Elections Commission (EC) over alleged discrepancies and irregularities, requesting that the court order the commission to hand over the voters list.

Prior to the commencement of the hearing today (September 15), attorneys representing both the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) had intervened in the case.

In arguing their case, the attorneys representing the JP claimed that, despite having raised issues concerning the discrepancies within the voter list, the EC had refused to hand over the list to the party so it could verify the issues.

To support their case, the JP produced three documents – each document consisting of lists of alleged fraudulent votes.

The first document was a list of 568 people that, according to the party, had died before the elections but whose names were still present on the voter list. Of the 568 in the JP’s list, 144 people had passed away on January 1 at exactly 12:00am.

The second document was a list of 172 people, which the JP claimed had their names repeated twice on the voter list.

The third document, the party claimed, was a list of people who were originally on Male’ Municipality’s Special Register – a special registry of people belonging to Male but not having their own houses in Male – but who had been registered to different houses in Male’ without the permission of the house owners.

The party claimed that the evidence it had gathered regarding the first round of presidential election suggested serious wrongdoings that undermined the credibility of the election.

The JP pleaded at the court to issue the mandatory order required by the law – to release the voter list which the party has been seeking.

EC lawyer’s response

In response to the JP’s argument, the lead attorney representing the EC’s legal team – veteran lawyer and former Attorney General Husnu Al Suood – contended that the entire lawsuit filed against the EC lacked any legal grounds to back its claim.

Suood went on to claim that the JP had filed the case like that of a “fishing expedition”, hoping to file another lawsuit based on any evidence they collected from the current case.

The former Attorney General claimed the reason the law explicitly stated that the voter list can only be issued through a court order was to protect private information of the voters such as their date of birth, the place they had voted, and whether they actually had gone to vote or not.

Suood further claimed that any order from the High Court to issue the voter list must be based on very strong evidence supporting the release of the document. If not, he claimed, the list would otherwise be used to manipulate the outcome of the upcoming elections including that of the run-off election.

Through the voter list, a political party can easily identify a specific voter and those who had not turned up for voting, meaning that the list could easily be used for unlawful activities, Suood argued.

Responding to the first document the JP produced as evidence, Suood questioned the authenticity of the list, raising questions over how the names of 144 people who had died in the 19th century were present on the voter list of the 2013 elections. He also challenged the JP to reveal the source of the information it had presented to the court.

Of the 568 registered people whom the JP alleged to have died, Suood claimed that seven people were found on the original voter list, of which four were actually alive. The status of the three remaining identities are currently being verified stage, said Suood.

In response to the second document, Suood said that when the EC had verified the allegedly repeated 172 names in the list, each name had a different national identification number or date of birth, meaning that the supposedly repeated names were simply different people.

Responding to the final document, Suood claimed that the voters had been registered under their current addresses to allow them easy access to vote. He added that the EC had intended to ensure that all those eligible to vote would be able to do so.

In summary, Suood pleaded the court not to issue any order based on simple claims and doubts, but rather based on substantial evidence, which he claimed the JP had failed to produce.

The PPM meanwhile during the hearing spoke in favor of the JP, alleging that the EC had been “negligent”. The PPM’s lawyer Adam Zaneen requested the court to issue an order on EC to issue the voter list, and send the PPM a copy.

The MDP echoed similar remarks to Suood, claiming that the JP had failed to produce any substantial documentary evidence to support its claim. The party also suggested the JP had failed to follow due procedure and had not complained to the EC regarding the list.

Concluding the hearing,the presiding panel of judges said that the court would hold the next hearing very soon during which it would decide the case.

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High Court rejects Jumhoree Party’s case contesting election result

The High Court has rejected a case filed by the Jumhoree Party(JP) seeking the release of the voters list and result sheets in the first round of presidential elections held on Saturday, in which its candidate Gasim Ibrahim polled third by just over one percent.

In a short statement, the High Court said the case did not fit the situations stipulated in article 64 of the Elections Act of 2008. Under provision 17(f) election regulations, the Elections Commission (EC) cannot release this information without a court order.

While local and international election observers have broadly praised the conduct of Saturday’s presidential elections, Gasim has contested the results and called for a criminal investigation of the Chair and Vice Chair of the EC for allegedly tampering with the outcome.

Gasim Ibrahim declared at a press conference yesterday that he would not accept the results released by the EC, contesting that the vote had been rigged and that his party’s officials had come across several discrepancies during the ballot.

The presidential poll showed the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) candidate former President Mohamed Nasheed finishing at the top of the race, securing 95,224 votes (45.45 percent while Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate Abdulla Yameen securing 53,099 (25.35 percent) to finish second.

Gasim Ibrahim finished the race at third place securing 50,422 votes (24.07 percent) while incumbent President Mohamed Waheed Hassan received 10,750 votes, finishing last with 5.13 percent of popular vote.

The EC has maintained that the commission did not consider the complaints credible while Vice Chair of Elections Commission Ahmed Fayaz described the accusations levied against the commission as “ridiculous” and “baseless”.

In a press conference on Tuesday – shortly after filing the case at the High Court – Jumhoree Party (JP) MP Ahmed Ilham said that the party will not let the Chair of the commission Fuwad Thowfeek “do whatever he wants with the votes” while everyone had been talking about the importance of “nationalism and Islam”.

“We have our dogs inside Elections Commission. By dogs, we mean informers who inform as about what is going on inside the Elections Commission. Don’t you dare touch a single ballot paper inside there, we will chop off the hands of those who do so,” said Ilham.

Gasim’s spokesperson Ibrahim Khaleel told the press that the party will not back down and would do everything it can to seek justice “even if the commission goes on to hold the run-off election.”

“The Head of State must call for a nation-wide investigation in order to maintain the credibility of the entire electoral process,” said Khaleel.

Khaleel also lambasted the Vice Chair of Elections Commission Fayaz Ahmed, whom Khaleel alleged was sharing confidential information with personal friends.

“Following a meeting with us and the Elections Commission, this Fayaz had told his friends that we talked to the members of the Elections Commission very rudely. Does he have to tell his friends that? What kind of professionalism is this?” Khaleel questioned.

“How come the meeting minutes of Elections Commission are being shared among his personal friends? You don’t take matters of work to home,” he added.

Khaleel also alleged that Elections Commission have “begun a special operation to cover up their wrong doings and fraud”. He also appealed the police to intervene and “help the people get justice”.

Khaleel also echoed similar sentiments as his party leader Gasim Ibrahim, who claimed that he should have finished the race in first place, had the election been “not rigged”.

“We have a team of highly trained campaign experts who consist of PhD holders and other intellectuals who have been trained by Gasim Ibrahim. We also had international experts on our team. The team had estimated that Gasim would gain at least 68,000 votes even in the worst case scenario. We know there is something wrong. We will uncover the whole plot,” Khaleel said.

JP MP Ilham called on the members of Election Commission to “honourably resign” and allow police to intervene and investigate the matter.

“I urge all commission members who did not partake in this scandal to come out to media and tell the public that they are ready to allow police to intervene and investigate. If you don’t do so, you will forever be labelled as traitors who betrayed our beloved nation,” Ilham said.

JP’s alleged discrepancies

The discrepancies which the JP alleges include: double voting, votes cast in the name of people who died prior to the election, inaccurate voter registry, lack of transparency during ballot counting, election officials being biased and aligning themselves towards MDP candidate Nasheed and PPM candidate Yameen.

Speaking during a rally held last Monday, Gasim claimed that 20,000 people had bypassed the rules and regulations and cast their votes “unlawfully”.

The resort tycoon also said that he had obtained more than 70,000 votes during Saturday’s election, but claimed the EC had reduced the number to 50,000.

If the EC had not done so, Gasim  claimed, he would have been leading the poll and MDP candidate former President Nasheed would have been trailing behind him. Gasim alleged that the EC robbed JP of 20,000 votes and gifted them to the MDP.

“I will never forgive this atrocity carried out by the Elections Commission. I will never forgive them ever,” Gasim said, during the rally.

Gasim also called on the members of the EC to “resign and go home” if they were unable to execute their duties.

Reflecting on the court case, Gasim said that he hoped that the High Court and the Supreme Court would not refuse to give him and his supporters the justice they were seeking.

“My plea to the court is to speed up cases filed regarding these critical issues. To look into it and give a just judgement. I don’t believe the courts will decide wrongly on this matter,” Gasim said.

The JP leader also noted that it was too early to talk about coalitions, but the party would decide of this after the matter of its defeat was decided in the courts.

“Currently, there are no candidates that I should endorse,” Gasim said. “By the will of Allah, Gasim Ibrahim will be sworn in as the next president on November 11.”

Meanwhile, during the same rally, former deputy leader of PPM Umar Naseer – who backed Gasim in the poll – accused the commission of giving MDP members 30,000 additional ballot papers to tamper with the outcome of the election.

EC was “well prepared” for poll, say international observers amidst accusations

Despite the allegations, international observers have broadly praised the conduct of Saturday’s election, notably the peaceful voting throughout the day and preparedness of the Elections Commission.

“It is clear that the Elections Commission was logistically well-prepared for this election. Election material was distributed in time to the atolls and overall the process was well-administered. It was positively noted that significant majority of polling officials were women,” read a statement given by the former Prime Minister of Malta Dr Lawrence Gonzi who led the Commonwealth’s observer group.

Meanwhile J M Lyngdoh of the Indian team of election observers stated that the “polling was orderly and unblemished by any notable incident. It was also an enjoyable experience for the voter.”

“The voters’ lists were accurate and prominently displayed. The ballot boxes were opened and closed as per the scheduled time. The discipline, patience and dignity of the voter and the sheer competence, industry and cheerfulness of the election staff were quite admirable. The police were ubiquitous but discreetly non-intrusive,” Lyngdoh noted in his statement.

The US also congratulated the Maldives on the conduct of the first round of voting with US State Department Deputy Spokesperson, Marie Harf noting that “The very high voter turnout showed the strong commitment of the people of Maldives to democratic government”.

Local NGO Transparency Maldives – who ran the most comprehensive observation operation on the day – had earlier announced that none of the incidents reported on election day would have a “material impact on the outcome of the election”.

Transparency Maldives Communications Manager Aiman Rasheed said in 14.5 percent of ballot boxes where controversy occurred during counting, these would not have impacted the overall outcome of the first placed candidate.

As neither of the four candidates who contested in Saturday’s election were able to obtained the required ’50 percent plus one vote’ to secure a first round election victory, the Elections Commission has announced that a run-off election will take place on September 28.

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Supreme Court holds first hearing into case filed by PPM official against Elections Commission

The Supreme Court has held the first hearing into a case filed by Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Appeal Committee Member Ahmed Zaneen Adam against the Elections Commission, contesting its credibility ahead of the scheduled Presidential Elections.

On Monday, Zaneen filed a case at the Supreme Court requesting it order an audit of the commission’s IT systems through an independent IT auditor to “ensure they are credible”.

Presenting his case today (August 29), Zaheen claimed that he had filed the case as a “Public Interest Litigation” case based on three grounds.

The first point – founded upon two articles written on local newspaper Haveeru, one article titled “Elections Commission’s server under continuous attack” and the other titled “Haveeru’s web developers concerned over security of Election Commission’s IT system” – Zaneen claimed that it was necessary in a world where “powerful states are trying to control smaller states” to conduct an independent audit on the Elections Commission’s IT system for security breaches.

In his second point, the PPM Appeal Committee member contested that an extraordinarily huge amount of forms had been submitted to the Elections Commission when it had opened its voter re-registration.

Voter re-registration is required by law, should a person such who is voting in an island which he/she is not originally registered in such as a student from an island studying in Male and Maldivians residing abroad.

Zaneen claimed that the public was very concerned regarding the number of forms submitted for re-registration and pleaded the Supreme Court to order the Elections Commission to have the final voter list of all ballot boxes sealed and signed by all political party campaign agents, before being sent to polling stations.

On the third point, he requested the Supreme Court rule that the security services, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and the police have a legal mandate to oversee the election process and vote counting process to ensure that security is maintained throughout the process.

Responding to the case, Head of the Elections Commission’s legal team, former Attorney General Husnu Al Suood, contested that Zaneen’s case lacked any legal grounds and that he had filed a case requesting preventive measures from Supreme Court based on his personal concerns and doubts.

Suood further challenged that as Zaneen was not a candidate in the presidential elections, he did not have the legal capacity to file such a case and requested the court dismiss the matter.

Responding to the first and second points, Suood argued that Zaneen had not followed the due process in filing his concerns, claiming that the Elections Commission had set up the National Elections Complaints Bureau (NECB) to hear complaints and the law allowed an appeal to be filed at the High Court, should a person feels discontent about the bureau’s decision.

Suood also argued that the final voter list used by the Elections Commission was a physically printed list and that it had nothing to do with the data stored on the server of the elections commission, claiming that no online security breach could possibly influence the outcome of the vote.

He also said that the physical list was a verified and error-checked list that had the seal and signature of three members of the Elections Commission.

Responding to the third point, Suood claimed that under the constitution, the Elections Commission had sole authority to conduct and hold elections and would operate independently. The role of the security services, Suood contended, was to assist the Elections Commission throughout the election process.

The former Attorney General also claimed that a presidential election conducted under the watch of the military would not be seen by the democratic world as a free and fair election.

Summing up his response, Suood told the seven-member Supreme Court that it was not sensible to carry out a case filed against the Elections Commisson based on an individual’s personal perception and needlessly create doubt over the election’s credibility.

Meanwhile, the members of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s legal team – who had been able to intervene at the last minute – echoed similar sentiments to Suood, contending that should the Supreme Court issue an injunction based on a case filed on personal perception and doubt, it would destroy all constitutional and legal principles established in the constitution and law.

The MDP’s legal tea,m headed by former Solicitor General Ibrahim Riffath, added that it was saddening and deeply regrettable to see a case filed against the Elections Commission that did not have any written evidence to support itself, or even grounds of proof required in a civil case.

Riffath also contested that it was the constitutional duty of the Elections Commission, and not the security service, to enforce the law concerning elections and voting. He added that the constitution explicitly states that independence of independent institutions must be ensured at all times.

Today’s hearing – heard by the full seven member bench of the Supreme Court – was adjourned but the judges did not state when the next would be scheduled.

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Former president pledges to create ‘Fuvahmulah City’

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed has this week pledged to transform the island of Fuvahmulah into a city through the provision of 70 separate development projects.

Speaking during a campaign rally Monday (August 26), the former president said that a future MDP-led government would establish all the services required by a city in Fuvahmulah within five years time.

Geographically, Fuvahmulah is the only island located in Gnaviyani Atoll – the north of Addu City – making it the country’s only one-island atoll.

Nasheed added that, should the MDP win next month’s election, some 70 out of 137 development projects planned and budgeted by the party would be focused on developing Fuvahmulah.

The Nasheed administration completed a domestic airport on Fuvahmulah in October 2011. The construction of the airport took nearly three months, a record for such a facility in the Maldives.

The strip, which measures some 1,200 metres in length and 30 metres in width, saw its maiden flight land on October 31, 2011.

Shortly after inaugurating the airport, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate Abdulla Mohamed Didi won the mid-Fuvahmulah atoll council seat, defeating MDP representative, Mohamed Abdulla Didi.

Nasheed has nonetheless pledged this week that his government would work to transform Fuvahmulah into a city.

“We will ensure that higher education facilities will be established and children of this island will no longer have to roam around the country to get higher education,” he said.

Nasheed also promised to develop a water and sewerage system in the island, as well as transforming the Fuvahmulah football ground into an international stadium and improving the island hospital.

“The results of these development projects are the establishment of the Fuvahmulah stadium, the facilitation of a sewerage system. For us, sport is not simply a game. For us, every ball that comes to our feet is a life changing decision. Every pass we make is an experience. Every free kick, every goal we score is a victory for us,” he added.

Speaking during his party’s MDP rally in Fuvahmulah, Nasheed said that his government would increase the national revenue to MVR72 billion (US$ 4.67 billion). Out of this total, he pledged to spend MVR 30 billion (US$ 2.07 billion) on 137 separate development projects, while MVR37 billion (US$ 2.39 billion) will be spent on the administrative running of the state.

He added that MVR16 billion (US$ 1.03 billion) from the sum would be allocated to the repayment of national debts.

In response to recent campaigning by rival parties, Nasheed said that focusing on his flaws would not do any anything for the development of Fuvahmulah.

“We are talking about the good things that need to happen to [Fuvahmulah]. It is a great pleasure to know that our rivals have slowly started taking up our language in these matters. That will be a real boost to the work we are doing,” he added.

Nasheed claimed that people had faith in the MDP’s election policy, on the basis that the MDP would not focus on vague promises, but rather a set of policies which had been costed and budgeted.

He suggested that with the presidential election a month away, the people of the Maldives had given thumbs-up to the MDP’s policies, implying that a first round election victory is just round the corner.

According to the Elections Commission (EC), the Presidential Elections is scheduled to take place on September 7, with an additional run-off election being held on September 27, should no candidate be able to secure the required 50 percent plus 1 share of the vote.

EC Statistics released from the commission have indicated that 239,008 people are entitled to cast their ballot with 31,008 new voters.

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MDP allege police investigations are campaign obstruction

Additional reporting by Ahmed Nazeer

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has alleged that officials in the government were threatening senior party figures in a bid to obstruct the party’s presidential campaign, ahead of the upcoming presidential elections.

In a press statement released yesterday (August 25) on its website, the MDP alleged that recent police summons and prosecution of its senior figures – including parliamentary group members – were part of the government’s plan to obstruct campaigning.

The statement came shortly after former President Mohamed Nasheed’s former Special Envoy, Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, was summoned to police for questioning. Zaki’s passport has also been withheld by the authorities.

Last week, the prosecutor general filed charges against six people – including MDP MPs Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, Abdulla Jabir, and former Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair – regarding their apprehension at Hondaidhoo island last November, allegedly in possession of alcohol.

Meanwhile, members of MDP MP Ali Waheed’s family – including his mother, father and wife – were summoned to police as part of an investigation into a corruption case concerning the buying of a house in Male.

“The MDP condemns the politicized police summons and prosecutions against during former Special Envoy Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, parliamentary group members Hamid Abdul Ghafoor and Abdulla Jabir, as the MDP’s campaign gathers pace ahead of the presidential elections,” read the MDP’s statement.

The party also alleged that the arrests on Hondaidhoo were politically motivated and were the government’s attempt to influence the now-shelved no-confidence motions filed against then Home Minister Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and Defense Minister Mohamed Nazim.

Despite the MDP’s claims, Chair of Elections Commission Fuwad Thowfeek told local media that the commission had received few complaints regarding attempts to obstruct campaigning.

Thowfeek said that the commission’s complaints bureau was addressing the complaints filed, and would take action if required.

“Complaints concerning attempts made to influence and obstruct campaigns are very low compared to previous elections. The complaints are very few,” Thowfeek told local newspaper Haveeru. “We expect this year’s election to be smoother compared to last elections. We are only getting very few complaints, even when the election is very close.”

Police investigations

On November 16, 2012, police arrested ten people during a ‘special’ operation on the island of Hondaidhoo in Haa Dhaal Atoll for the alleged possession and consumption of drugs and alcohol. During the raid Ghafoor, Jabir, Zaki, Zuhair, and his wife Mariyam Faiz were all brought under police custody.

Others arrested included Jadhulla Jaleel, Hamdan Zaki, two Sri Lankan nationals named Raj Mohan and Anoor Bandaranayk, as well as a Bangladeshi named Suhail Rana.

Police at the time said that they found large amounts of “suspected” drugs and alcohol after obtaining a court warrant to search the island. The arrests were made “based on information received by police intelligence,” police claimed.

Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef was reported as saying that the suspects were arrested with alcohol and “hash oil”.

Haneef added that police officers at the time of arrest had requested all suspects taken into custody on Hondaidhoo to provide urine samples for a routine examination. However, only Hamdhaan Zaki and the three foreign suspects complied with the request.

Last June, the police sent cases of seven individuals – including the two opposition MPs –to the Prosecutor General’s Office for prosecution. Meanwhile, the case regarding Zaki has yet to be submitted for prosecution as he left the country shortly after being released, only returning two weeks ago.

On February 20, 2013, police declared they were investigating a corruption case involving Ali Waheed in which his mother purchased land in Male’ for MVR 7.938 million (US$514,000) in October 2011.

At the time, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) President Hassan Luthfee confirmed the institution was also investigating a case concerning the Thoddoo MP.

“We have earlier received complaints regarding the MP taking bribes following his defection from the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) to the MDP. There were also claims that he utilised the money he received as bribes to buy a house. We are investigating the matter,” Luthfee said.

Contacted by Minivan News today, Ali Waheed said he had already commented on the matter through Twitter.

My wife was summoned to police tonight while I am on campaign @ GA. Abdulla Riyaz is mistaken. She is much stronger and better than me!

— Ali Waheed (@ali20waheed) August 25, 2013

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“Elections Commission unprepared” says former President Gayoom

Maldives former 30 year autocratic leader, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has said that the Elections Commission (EC) has not prepared itself to the necessary standards to hold the presidential election scheduled for September 7.

Previously, Gayoom’s party Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has raised several concerns over the EC that include the involvement of Indian IT specialists handling its database, the wife of the Elections Commissioner Fuwad Thowfeek being an outspoken Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporter, and “politicised tweets” by the commission’s Legal Director Haneefa Khalid.

In an interview given to Minivan News this week, Thowfeek revealed that the PPM had requested access to the commission’s IT section.

The PPM denied the accusation but did reiterate their concern over expat IT experts working in the commission.

“We are still quite uncertain and unsure why these people are here at this time,” said PPM MP Ahmed Nihan.

Thowfeek meanwhile told the local media this week that the commission’s internet server was continuously being attacked by hackers from both within the country and outside.

“Our server is continuously being attacked… For that reason, our IT team is continuously monitoring the server and blocking these attacks round the clock.  I assure that our data is still safe and protected. There are no imminent threats of a security breach,” Fuwad told Haveeru.

Gayoom – who was on his way to Gaaf Dhaal Atoll to campaign for PPM’s Presidential Candidate Abdulla Yameen – told the media shortly before departing on Wednesday that it was critical that the EC address the issues raised by political parties.

The former president elaborated that the stability of the country relied heavily upon the freedom and fairness of the upcoming presidential elections, and that therefore it was imperative for the EC to carry out its duties in an open and transparent manner.

“We are seeing problems within the framework they have established. Other parties have even noted that. We are not, by any means, saying that they are doing things wrong. But instead, we are saying that we don’t see the Elections Commission making necessary arrangements for the presidential elections in an adequate and proper way,” Gayoom said.

Gayoom, who faced defeat at the hands of Mohamed Nasheed –  now the opposition MDP’s Presidential Candidate – in the 2008 presidential elections,  said that despite the days leading up to the elections being few, there “is still time to make amends”.

Speaking about PPM’s Presidential Candidate Yameen – also Gayoom’s half brother – the former president said that he had high hopes that Yameen would secure an election victory from the first round without needing to go into a run-off election.

Should the party not be able to win the election in the first round, Gayoom expressed confidence that PPM would still secure the election victory with the support of political parties who would ally with the PPM.

“We want to win this election in a way that will benefit the whole country, even if it means forming a coalition with other political parties. We are a party that had previously worked with other parties,” Gayoom said.

Thowfeek today defended the commission against Gayoom’s claims, contending that the it was “fully prepared” to hold next month’s poll.

“If he had said this in 2008, yes, we may have not been very prepared. But I don’t think anyone has the chance to say that now. In 2008, the interim Elections Commission was formed and the Elections were held in the next month. But it is not the case now,” Thowfeek said.

Thowfeek also reiterated that the commission had successfully held the local council elections in 2010, which was far more complex than a presidential election.

“Unlike the local council elections, in a presidential election, only one common ballot paper is used throughout the country. In 2010, there were separate ballot papers for 19 atoll councils, 2 city councils, and for all island councils,” Thowfeek explained.

He also said that, like any other institution, the EC would also examine matters that could be reformed but assured that it had no serious concerns regarding the facilitation of September’s poll in a free and fair manner.

He added that the commission was addressing the issues raised by the PPM and said that it would hold a presentation session with all political parties regarding the IT system in use.

“With all the resources we have, I think we are doing exceptionally well. We will continue to address issues raised regarding the elections.”

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“Our server is continuously being attacked”: Elections Commissioner

The Elections Commission (EC) has said its internet server is currently facing continuous attacks from hackers working both within the country and from outside.

In an interview given to local newspaper Haveeru, EC Chair Fuad Thaufeek dismissed rumours that both the website and its server had been hacked, but acknowledged the commission had continuously come under attack from hackers.

“Our server is continuously being attacked by hackers from both the Maldives and outside. For that reason, our IT team is continuously monitoring the server and blocking these attacks round the clock.  I assure that our data is still safe and protected. There are no imminent threats of a security breach,” Fuad told Haveeru.

The EC Chair also noted that similar attacks had previously been launched against the commission’s internet servers. However, during previous attack attempts, Thoufeek admitted that hackers were able to access their website but had done little damage, other than putting an image on the website.

He stressed that the data stored at the commission’s server was safe after hearing individuals had posted a document allegedly belonging to the commission’s server which was later discovered to be a fake.

Ahead of the presidential election scheduled to take place on September 7, Thoufeek said that the EC’s members had discussed the attacks with the police.

The announcement comes at a time when both the government-aligned Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the Jumhoree Party (JP) have expressed concern over Indian IT experts working with the commission.

Both the parties previously requested their IT experts be allowed to assess the server but the commission refused to grant permission, claiming that it would undermine the organisation’s credibility.

“We explained to [the parties] that the Indian team would not be working on systems being used for the upcoming presidential election. They will instead be providing assistance to help develop a program for future elections,”  Thoufeek told Minivan News previously.

The commission previously claimed that it had initially sought local IT professionals for the project, but that it had not been possible to find Maldivians with either the programming skills required for the project, or those willing to work within the budget assigned for the project.

“Firms presently operating in Male’ demanded much higher rates to oversee the project,” he said.

Both PPM and JP had challenged the possibility of holding free and fair elections scheduled for September 7 this year if foreigners could access the electoral database and other systems. However, the EC has moved to dismiss any fears, adding that only local EC staff had access to sensitive information and the commission’s security systems.

Meanwhile, the commission revealed Saturday (August 17) to local media that 38 people’s names had been fraudulently re-registered to vote outside of their home towns in next month’s presidential poll.

The Elections Commission had previously given a one month time frame for re-registration of voters – necessary for those intending to vote at a polling station other than that listed with the commission, such as a worker based on a resort island and those currently residing abroad.

During the time frame, the commission claimed that more than 61,000 people had re-registered with the commission.

Statistics released by the commission suggests that 240,302 people are eligible to cast their vote with 31,008 new voters in the upcoming presidential elections.

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MDP appoints 1000 election observers as campaign spreads across country

With less than 23 days to go ahead of the upcoming presidential elections, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has claimed it remains confident of a first round victory with four campaign teams supported by thousands of volunteers working across the country.

MDP Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said the party’s campaign was going “extremely well”.

“We have four campaign teams working round the clock throughout the country. We have a team that includes the parliamentary group, a team led by the running mate (Dr Musthafa Luthfy), a team led by the Speaker of Parliament (Abdulla Shahid) and a team led by Nasheed himself,” Ghafoor said.

Ghafoor described the MDP’s campaign team as “a government in the awakening” that comprised of members of the former MDP-led government fighting against those who ousted them, in a battle to “win back justice”.

Speaking during a previous campaign rally, former President Mohamed Nasheed asserted that the results of the elections are clear and that the Elections Commission should not worry about the possibility of a run-off election.

“We will not need to go for a second round. Tune onto your radios, subscribe for cable TV and pay your cable bills, for this picture by the will of God, is being witnessed throughout the country,” Nasheed claimed. “Mohamed Nasheed of Galolhu ward Keneryge will win this election with 121,000 votes in the first round.”

Gahfoor said today that the party fully expected to receive 57 percent of the vote, though Nasheed’s rivals in the campaign have all expressed similar confidence ahead of the first round. He claimed that the figure was based on the party’s door to door campaigns and the data collected from the regional campaign coordinators and campaign agents stationed throughout the country.

Thousands of people turned out to hear Nasheed speak earlier this week during a rally held to commemorate the 12th anniversary of Black Friday in 2004, when government security forces attacked anti-Gayoom protesters.

Ghafoor is himself a coordinator for the regions Shaviyani Atoll, Raa Atoll and Laamu Atoll which comprises 13 parliamentary constituencies, contended that out of the 8,000 people who registered themselves to vote outside the region, more than 50 percent had pledged their vote to former President Nasheed.

“When the coup was brought about, our government’s popular support stood around 50 percent. After the coup and the unveiling of all the hypocrisy with the change of government, our support base currently stands beyond 55 percent,” he claimed.

Polling and Policies

Meanwhile, MDP announced that is planning to place more than a thousand election observers throughout the country, an average of four observers per ballot box.

Ghafoor added that work was underway to train the observers ahead of the elections: “We will not tolerate any attempts by this unelected government to influence the vote. We are very cautious and very prepared for that,” he said.

Ahead of the campaign, the former ruling party has launched series of election policies as part of its mini-manifesto. The policies, said the party, were planned to boost the crippled economy and increase the number of jobs available to young people.

Examples of the policies have included more sports facilities, higher enrolments in higher education, the development of a mari-culture industry, and improvements to the country’s internal agriculture trade in order to reduce the country’s huge import bill.

The MDP also proposed a guest house policy which is intended to double the number of tourist arrivals in the country within the next three years, creating more job opportunities while also improving the quality of living across the islands.

With less than a month for the elections, Ghafoor claimed that the party’s strong policies and intense campaigning gave them the edge over the remaining candidates.

“MDP will easily win the elections securing the needed 50 percent plus 1 vote. I still believe PPM will be trailing behind us. I don’t think it will be a close contest. Waheed and Gasim will probably secure the third and fourth positions,” he said.

Asked if the possibility of involvement of large sums of money given to voters could affect the possible outcome of the election results, Ghafoor claimed that vote buying would not have much of an impact.

“I think the people are more aware of the candidates running in the election. But we have to admit it, money plays a significant role in Maldivian voting culture. However, money cannot buy loyalty,” he said.

“PPM I believe will come second because it is lead by the former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. He will obviously have loyal supporters. But it may be a different story when it comes to recruiting their young support base. Apart from Gayoom, both Gasim and even Waheed are using money to get votes,” he claimed.

Ghafoor also described the current election politics as that of a battle between the past and the future. He claimed that the remaining three candidates were proxies of former President Gayoom’s 30 year reign and had nothing new to offer to the people.

“This is a clash between the past and the future and we are the future,” he said.

Aerial view of the MDP’s August 12 rally near the tsunami monument:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKBJiOAnFVw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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