Tag: MDP

International community obliged to delegitimise President Waheed: Nasheed

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate and former President Mohamed Nasheed has called on the international community not to recognise President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan should he stay in power beyond the end of the current presidential term at midnight tonight.

The Supreme Court in a ruling yesterday said Waheed’s presidency continues until a president elect is determined, invalidating a People’s Majlis resolution authorizing the speaker to assume the presidency in the absence of a president-elect.

Speaking to the press today, Nasheed said, “In my view, the international community is partly responsible for the messy situation here in the Maldives. We had a perfect well-oiled government in 2012. They came and they recognised my Vice President as the head of state. They have an obligation not to recognise him after the end of that period.”

Nasheed has called on Waheed to resign, allow Majlis Speaker Abdulla Shahid to assume the presidency and conduct the second round of presidential elections on November 16.

“We would hope that Dr Waheed will resign tonight and we are seeking for an election held with Shahid, the speaker of parliament, as head of state,” he said.

Waheed was Nasheed’s second in command, and came to the presidency on February 7, 2012, after elements of the police and military mutinied against Nasheed. The first democratically elected president publicly resigned, later alleging that he was ousted in a coup d’état.

Nasheed emerged as the frontrunner in yesterday’s presidential polls with 46.93 percent of the vote. He is set to compete against Progressive Party of the Maldives’s (PPM) Abdulla Yameen who won 29.73 percent.

A second round of elections was scheduled for today in order to ensure a president elect is determined by the end of the presidential term, but the Supreme Court in the early hours of the morning rescheduled the vote to November 16, reiterating the continuity of Waheed’s administration.

Beyond November 11

Speaking to the press on multiple occasions, Waheed has previously said he does not wish to stay on as president “even a day beyond November 11.” The President’s Office has not responded to the Supreme Court’s ruling on continuity of Waheed’s administration.

Nasheed described the Supreme Court as “vested interests”, and called on the international community “not to entertain” the apex court.

The Supreme Court annulled the first round of presidential polls held on September 7 despite unanimous praise of electoral conduct, and delineated 16 guidelines on electoral processes, limiting the independence of the Elections Commission and effectively giving veto power over elections to presidential candidates.

On October 19, the police brought elections to a halt after two of the three presidential candidates refused to sign the voter registry.

“[I]t is very clear to them now that the Supreme Court does not resemble any idea of a court. So I don’t believe the international community actually seriously takes the Supreme Court into account. And I would want them to very clearly indicate to the people of the Maldives, that they are with the constitution of the Maldives and not with the vested interests,” Nasheed said.

Further, an election conducted under Waheed’s leadership would be unconstitutional and “it would be very difficult” for the MDP to participate in such an election as such an election is open to interference from the Supreme Court, he added.

“We do not believe that if President Waheed continues in government that he would – or people aligned with him, working with him, in alliance with him – would want an election in the country. I think it is very clear that elections would go our way. If they do not intend to transfer power legally, then we do not see how they would want to have an election. So we don’t think there could be a conducive environment for elections. The Supreme Court will come out with another ruling upon the military or upon the police to definitely obstruct the elections. Come 16th of November, we will be back to square one,” he added.

Speaker to reach out

Meanwhile, Waheed’s Vice President Waheed Deen has stepped down today and a petition by mid ranking officers of the Maldives National Defense Forces (MNDF) calling on the army not to obey any order made by Waheed or his political appointees after November 11 has been circulating on social media.

The Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) has come out in support of Waheed assuming the presidency.

Speaking to the press last night, the PPM’s presidential candidate Yameen said: “Now the Supreme Court verdict has come the way President Waheed hoped for or wanted. So I am certain that President Waheed will stay with the Maldivian people at this most difficult time we are facing. I have no doubt about that.”

But Nasheed said the spirit of the constitution was for the People’s Majlis speaker to assume the presidency in the absence of a president and vice president as Article 124 (b) confers presidential powers to the Speaker if the presidency becomes vacant for any reason.

The speaker is expected to reach out to the different arms of the government and the security forces today, he said.

Speaking to Minivan News last week, Shahid said that if the reigns of power are taken over by an unelected body on November 11, it would mark the death of democracy in the Maldives.

Should he assume presidency, his role would be to ensure an election as soon as possible, Shahid said.

“To make sure that we hold an election as soon as possible and that the country is put back on track. That the opportunity for the people to have their say is provided and an elected leader is put in place. And then my job is done. The sooner the better. This is not an opportunity I cherish at all, to be an interim caretaker for this country,” he said.

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Polls “well-administered despite challenges”: Transparency Maldives

The first round of the rescheduled presidential election yesterday (November 9) was peaceful, credible and “well-administered despite challenges,” NGO Transparency Maldives (TM) concluded following its observation of the polls.

“If you look at the statistics, the polling stations generally opened on time, closed on time, and the assisted voter turnout decreased from last time. So in general we found that this election has been very well-administered despite challenges,” TM’s Advocacy and Communications Manager Aiman Rasheed said at a press conference last night.

TM’s key findings showed that 96 percent of polling stations closed by 4:30pm, assisted voters accounted for 1.4 percent of the total turnout, and voting was temporarily halted in 3.2 percent of polling stations, of which 85 percent of the cases were interventions at the direction of the presiding officer.

“There were reports that people were not able to vote because their names were not on the voter registry, but this affected very few cases (less than 0.35% of all voters). Out of those affected 23.1% complained at the polling stations that they were unable to vote at their designated polling location,” TM noted in a press statement.

In the annulled election on September 7, TM had found that people unable to vote because their names were not on the register accounted for 0.2 percent of all voters.

Elections Commission (EC) member Ali Mohamed Manik had said at a press conference yesterday that the most common complaint during voting was from people who were unable to vote due to “minor differences” or mismatches between the information on their identity cards and the voter registry.

As most cases involved minor spelling differences in addresses, Manik said the EC issued a circular in the afternoon to allow voting in such instances.

Discrepancies in the addresses and names of 3,782 voters were cited by the Supreme Court as irregularities in its judgment annulling the September 7 election.

Peaceful

Although isolated cases of violence were reported at 1.8 percent of polling stations in yesterday’s election, “we are happy to report that this election has been peaceful,” TM stated.

“Where there were incidents of violence, they were reported to the relevant authorities, and we will be closely monitoring any further developments.”

While police had entered 14.5 percent of polling stations, in 84.4 percent of such cases, “interventions occurred at the invitation of the Presiding Officer as the rules allow.”

According to police media updates throughout the day, an individual who showed his ballot paper and another who photographed his were arrested in Male’, voting was temporarily halted for a ballot box in Majeedhiyya School after a person voted on behalf of an assisted voter, and people remaining at a polling station in the school after voting were removed upon request by EC officials.

Police were also informed of incidents where ballot papers were displayed or photographed in Haa Alif Baarah and Alif Alif Ukulhas.

In the final reported case, an individual was arrested near Thajudheen School in Male’ following a disturbance outside the polling stations in the school.

Credible

The TM statement meanwhile noted that “candidates were well-represented during the counting, making the process transparent and adding to its credibility.”

“Gasim Ibrahim was represented at 83.7% of polling stations during the vote count. Abdulla Yameen was represented at 85.1% of polling stations during the vote count. Mohamed Nasheed was represented at 91% of polling stations during the vote count,” the statement noted.

“Only 0.15% of ballot papers were disputed by the candidate/party observers during the counting process.”

The TM statement also expressed appreciation and gratitude to “the 400+ observers and volunteers in our observer network, based in 20 atolls and a number of foreign countries.”

Asked about the annulment of the September 7 polls – the results of which largely mirrored yesterdays – despite positive assessments by domestic and international observers, Aiman Rasheed said that TM was “very confident in our methodology, we are very confident in the results of our observation.”

“We are confident in the results that we shared with the international community, with the media, and our findings indicate that there was no systematic fraud on election day on September 7,” he said.

Following allegations of vote rigging in the wake of the annulled polls, TM issued a statement urging “all actors and institutions to refrain from undermining the integrity of and confidence in the election day processes without credible evidence of fraud.”

Illegal campaigning

The EC meanwhile noted at its press conference yesterday that complaints were submitted regarding campaigning after the 6:00pm cut-off point on Friday (November 8).

Mass text messages in the names of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) candidate, former President Mohamed Nasheed, were reported in the morning on voting day.

The text messages originated from a number in India.

“To PPM’s [Progressive Party of Maldives] beloved members. Only Gasim [Ibrahim] can stop Islam being destroyed through Nasheed and the selling off of Maldivians’ freedom,” read a text message in the name of the PPM figurehead.

“I have not been able to do anything well apart from protesting on the street. Am I fit to be the ruler of the nation?” asked a text message in the name of the MDP candidate.

EC member Manik noted that complaints regarding the text messages as well as other campaign activities during voting were received by complaints bureaus, adding that the commission was unable to do much apart from requesting the communications authority to block the numbers.

PPM candidate Abdulla Yameen said at a press conference last night that he believed the fake messages in the name of Gayoom would have adversely affected the outcome.

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Saturday’s election an opportunity to reverse damage of February 7, says Nasheed

The long-awaited president election on November 9 is an opportunity to “regain the development lost on February 7, 2012,” former President Mohamed Nasheed said in his final campaign message ahead of tomorrow’s presidential polls.

“Through the right to vote we will secure the right to water and sanitation, housing, transport, and education,” the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate said. “Our second term will also bring contentment to the Maldivian people.”

The MDP’s “costed and budgeted” manifesto was devised to bring about the “proud citizen” who can stand tall, provide for his family through honest work and be free from anxiety over unaffordable healthcare, he said.

“I am asking very sincerely for your vote on the November 9 election,” Nasheed said.

“The election November 9 is the final result of the coup perpetrators’ devious plot to undermine the constitution and take over the government,” he said.

“Today we are able to have this election as a consequence of the efforts of many Maldivian citizens in defence of our future.”

Nasheed expressed particular gratitude to the staff of the Elections Commission.

The economy has suffered the consequences of annulling and delaying the presidential election while relations with foreign partners have deteriorated to unprecedented levels, he continued.

Establishing strong ties with the outside world does not amount to “forgoing our nationhood,” Nasheed contended, adding that Maldivian nationhood in a globalised world would be “based on Islam, the Dhivehi language, culture and human rights.”

Foreign ambassadors and diplomats were coming to the Maldives more than ever before to “save the Maldivian people from the impoverishment we could face if there is no elected government,” he said.

The Maldives could not afford to be an “isolated nation” as foreign assistance was required for infrastructure development, higher education opportunities, and medical treatment.

Development could not be secured by “oppressing, suppressing and intimidating the people,” he said.

State of the economy

The MDP meanwhile issued a press statement today calling on the Auditor General to conduct an audit to assess the state of the government’s finances.

The party contended that the Finance Ministry has accumulated domestic debt in violation of the Public Finance Act while the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) printed money to finance the government’s deficit spending.

Compared to 2012, the party noted that loans or credit sought from the domestic market increased 30 percent this year.

The MMA governor revealed to parliament’s Finance Committee recently that the government owed MVR1.5 billion to the central bank, MVR1.5 billion to the State Trading Organisation (STO) and “close to a billion to other parties that release credit to the government,” the statement observed.

MMA Governor Dr Fazeel Najeeb had said that the sums were not included in the 2013 budget while the 2014 budget had no allocations for repayment, the MDP noted.

The value of the rufiya has fallen as a result of printing MVR1.5 billion to finance government expenditures, the party argued, noting that the MDP government ceased deficit monetisation in August 2009 through an agency agreement between the Finance Ministry and MMA.

Under the circumstances, the statement continued, offering a lump sum payment to ministers was “shameful.”

Islam and sovereignty

Meanwhile, speaking at the final campaign rally of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) last night, the party’s candidate Abdulla Yameen said it was “obligatory” upon all Maldivians to vote for him for the sake of Islam and the nation.

Yameen appealed to members of Adhaalath Party, Jumhooree Party and the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party to vote for him.

The PPM’s efforts during the three year MDP government showed that it was the only party that worked on behalf of the religion and the nation, Yameen said.

People should not complain or blame political leaders if they did not perform the duty of voting for the PPM candidate on Saturday, the half-brother of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom said.

While the Maldives is not a rich country, Yameen said it could be made a prosperous nation under the stewardship of a “trustworthy” president.

The PPM leadership was comprised of “capable, educated and sincere” people, he added.

The next leader would have to begin from “1000 feet under” as the national debt had soared such that a newborn was indebted by MVR180,000, Yameen said.

A PPM government would clear the budget deficit in its first two years and achieve a surplus in the third year, Yameen pledged.

Yameen said he could have “awarded projects any way I wanted” when he served in the cabinet and as the chairman of government-owned companies under the Gayoom administration, and could have become the richest man in the country.

“But, God willing, after a long public service, I am able to talk about the corruption of another person in front of the people at this podium today because, by the grace of God, I am free from [corruption],” he said.

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Parties hold final events in capital city Male’ on last day of campaigns

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM),  Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and  Jumhooree Coalition (JP) – the three parties contesting in the November 9 presidential elections – have held final rallies around the capital on Friday evening, ending just in time to meet the 6:00pm campaign prohibition hour.

PPM vehicle round

PPM and its coalition partner Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) organised a round of vehicles as their last campaign event.

The event was led by presidential candidate Abdulla Yameen, who rode atop a party themed convertible car, with over a dozen lorries decorated in party-themed clothed and balloons following him carrying supporters.

Around 50 motorcycles followed the rally, also decked in pink. The total rally had close to a thousand supporters.

The vehicles halted near the Raalhugandu area – the usual rally grounds of opponent MDP – where Yameen addressed the onlookers.

“Do you want to return back to the brutality? Have you forgotten the past?” he asked of them, while urging them to vote for the party.

Supporters in the lorries threw chocolates, leaflets detailing their tourism policy and posters which displayed what they alleged to be corruption during Nasheed’s administration.

MDP march

Maldivian Democratic Party marched around capital city Male’, to the sound of campaign music and loud chants by the crowd of several thousand supporters.

The rally was led by the party’s presidential candidate and former President Mohamed Nasheed, his running mate Mustafa Lutfi, as well as many MPs and senior members of the party’s council who walked along with the crowd.

Supporters carried flags, streamers, balloons and placards showing the party’s slogans and pledges, with “ehburun” [in one round] remaining the main message.

Jumhooree Gathering

Jumhooree Coalition parties gathered near the Social Centre in Maafannu ward, with several hundred supporters in attendance.

The coalition’s presidential candidate and JP leader Gasim Ibrahim, as well his running mate Hassan Saeed joined the gathering.

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Parties rally on penultimate day before polling

The Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) held final campaign rallies on Thursday night ahead of the first round of presidential elections scheduled for November 9.

The Jumhooree Party did not hold a full scale rally on the evening.

The PPM promoted the party as the only party that would protect Islam and Maldives’ sovereignty and hailed the PPM’s presidential candidate Yameen Abdul Gayoom as an economic expert.

The MDP focused on themes of good governance, ensuring basic services such as medical care, transport and education and ending the authoritarianism of the past.

Yameen’s speech centered on alleged corruption during the three years MDP’s presidential candidate and former President Mohamed Nasheed had stayed in power and the importance of protecting Islamic faith.

“Yellow is a colour that has quarantined our whole country. They sold our airport to foreigners, but with God’s will and the work of many united parties, we were able to get it back,” Yameen said, alleging “although it was done under a contract, it is still classified as corruption as it would have benefited the foreigners more than the people of our country,” continued Yameen.

Referring to a speech given by his Electoral Agent Abdulla Ameen – who had listed out 11 persons he alleged had gained large amounts of money through corrupt means during Nasheed’s administration – Yameen argued that Nasheed’s government had misused MVR4,700million.

“However, when Nasheed came to power, he made a Presidential Commission – outside constitutional provisions – to investigate Maumoon and his cabinet for corruption. They could not find any evidence against Maumoon, nor will they ever be able to. Is it still the thirty years [of Gayoom’s administration] that we should still be questioning?”

“We will give you the dignified life you want”: Nasheed

Speaking to thousands of supporters at Raalhugandu, MDP’s presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed said, “We will defeat those who brought about a coup through the vote. God willing, we will win this election in one round. We will take the Maldives to safe shores.”

Saturday’s vote was a vote for a dignified life, shelter, medical care, transport, education and job opportunities, Nasheed said.

He spoke of the long journey Maldivians had traveled out of authoritarianism and the numerous setbacks along the way. He commended the determination of the Maldivian people to move forward.

He described the delay in voting as an attempt to destroy the constitution.

“It is always the people of this country who have the power to uphold the constitution. Saturday is an opportunity to use that power to save this state, this Maldives. Vote for me, god willing, we will make Maldives upright again. We will give you the dignified life you want,” he said.

The Maldives is rich in natural resources and Maldivians deserve a lot more than they currently have, Nasheed said.

He also said the Supreme Court’s annulment of the vote had in fact increased support for the MDP.

Speaking about the PPM and JP’s reluctance to sign the voter registry on Tuesday, Nasheed said the two parties had changed their minds because of international pressure.

“They say for the nation, for the country, but in truth at last they had to sign the voter list because a German tourist agency ordered them to. They had to sign because a tourist agency told them to. Because that’s where the dollars come from. [They] contest elections for dollars. [They] sign the voter lists for dollars. All of life is based around for dollars. Maldivians want to tell them I am a proud Maldivian. I will look after my children through honest work,” he said.

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Committee approves no-confidence motion against Prosecutor General

Parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee has approved a no-confidence motion against Prosecutor General Ahmed Muiz with four votes in favour and three against.

Following today’s committee decision, the motion will be put to a vote at the People’s Majlis floor.

At the committee’s previous meeting on Monday (November 4), Muiz was asked to submit a response in writing after the meeting was disrupted by MPs of the government-aligned Progressive Party of Maldives, Jumhooree Party, and Dhivehi Qaumee Party.

The no-confidence motion against Muiz was filed by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party last month claiming that the PG had failed to prosecute police officers who mutinied against the former government and assaulted protesters. The party has accused the PG of “selectively” pursuing cases against its members while ignoring “human rights abuses” committed by police in the wake of the controversial transfer of presidential power on February 7, 2012.

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State produces three police officers as witnesses against MDP MP Jabir

The state has today produced three police officers to the Criminal Court as witnesses against Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Abdulla Jabir, during the hearing of a case in which Jabir faces charges of possession of cannabis.

According to local media present at the trial, Jabir told the court that the three police officers were among the policemen who allegedly brutalised him on the uninhabited picnic island of Hondaidhoo where he was arrested and that the Police Integrity Commission’s (PIC) report on his arrest concluded that police were brutal.

Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed, presiding over the case, asked Jabir to submit video footage of the torture to the court.

Jabir’s lawyer argued that the constitution states that any witness or evidence obtained in violation to the laws should not be accepted by the court.

However, the judge replied that the court would decide on accepting the witnesses when delivering the verdict and that the court would hear what the witnesses have to day.

A total of 10 people were taken into police custody on November 16 after police raided and searched Hondaidhoo with a court warrant. Officers alleged they found large amounts of suspected drugs and alcohol upon searching the island.

In August this year, a Criminal Court media official told Minivan News that the PG had charged MDP MPs Abdulla Jabir and Hamid Abdul Ghafoor with smuggling alcohol into the country and consuming alcohol.

Jabir and Hamid were also both charged with objecting to urine testing and possession of cannabis and alcohol.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair and his wife Mariyam Faiza were also charged for objecting to take a urine test, said Manik.

Additionally, the son of former President Nasheed’s Special Envoy, Mohamed Hamdhoon Zaki,  has been charged for trafficking illegal drugs into the country – the penalty for which is 25 years and can be fined up to MVR10million.

On 24 October, the Criminal Court issued a warrant to arrest and summon Hamid to the court, but the MP took refuge in the parliament building on the same day meaning police were unable to arrest him.

The Criminal Court later sentenced Hamid to six months for failing to produced himself to the court.

The MDP has previously alleged that the government aligned parties were attempting to reverse the MDP’s majority in parliament by using courts that remain under the influence of former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom as a means to strip the MDP MPs of their seats in parliament.

On October 24, the Supreme Court ruled that MDP MP Ali Azim and MDP-aligned Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party MP Mohamed Nashiz were disqualified from the parliament over an unpaid debt.

On November 4, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) council member and prominent lawyer Mohamed ‘Wadde’ Waheed filed a case at the Supreme Court requesting the court disqualify DRP Leader and MP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali from parliament.

Leader of the government-aligned Maldivian Development Alliance (MDA) and MP Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam is also facing alcohol possession charges that – if convicted – would result in the loss of his seat.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union has requested an urgent visit to the Maldives, arriving last week to attempt to build trust between factionalised institutions, whilst the US has expressed concern at reported intimidation,

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JP, PPM agree to sign voter registry

Presidential candidates of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and Jumhooree Party (JP) have agreed to sign the voter registry prepared for the November 9 presidential election following a meeting with President Dr Mohamed Waheed this morning.

PPM candidate Abdulla Yameen and JP candidate Gasim Ibrahim told the press upon emerging from the President’s Office that representatives have been sent to the Elections Commission (EC) to begin signing the voter lists.

Obtaining the signature of candidates or their representatives on all voter lists used at polling stations was among the 16-point guidelines imposed by the Supreme Court judgment annulling the September 7 election, whilst the re-vote scheduled for October 19 was obstructed by the police after the JP and PPM refused to approve the voter registry.

Yameen told reporters that the candidates supported holding the second round if necessary on November 10 if the EC had no objections. Both candidates stressed the importance of concluding the polls before the end of the current presidential term on November 11.

While the PPM and JP threatened not to sign the lists yesterday citing issues with the re-registration process, both candidates said today that they wished to see the election take place on Saturday.

President by 11th, ‘God willing’

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate, former President Mohamed Nasheed, meanwhile went to the EC immediately after the meeting to begin signing the lists.

At a press conference shortly after the meeting, President Waheed expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the discussions and assured the government’s cooperation to the EC.

“My prayer is for one of [the candidates] to succeed in this election – that way, God willing, an elected president can assume office on November 11,” he said.

“We discussed what to do if neither candidate is elected in the first round. All of them agreed that the best way would be holding the second round as soon as possible. They said they want the second round to be held on November 10, or at the latest November 11. So I also support that proposal. We must hold the election as soon as possible and hand over the presidency to the president-elect,” he continued.

As the Maldives was at “a critical juncture,” President Waheed said he discussed a way forward in the event that there is no president-elect on November 11.

“However, all of them agreed that the only solution was to hold the election on 10 or 11 to elect a president,” he added.

Decisions yet to be made

Asked repeatedly if he would stay on after November 11, President Waheed refused to categorically state that he would resign at the end of the term.

“I am hoping that it would not come to that. So if we do not have a [president-elect] by the 11th, a decision about what to do has not been made yet,” he said.

“I told the three candidates that a solution for this was in their hands. We can even find a legal solution. But the real solution would be a political solution. The power to resolve this is in their hands. I told them to bring a constitutional amendment through the People’s Majlis,” he said.

“That is the best way according to the legal advice I have received so far. They have that power. The constitution can be amended even tomorrow after convening the Majlis.”

On October 27, parliament approved a proposal by the MDP for the Speaker of Parliament to assume the presidency if there is no president-elect by midnight on November 10.

The resolution was proposed in response to a letter to Speaker Abdulla Shahid from President Waheed requesting parliament “to take initiative in finding a solution to any legal issues that will arise if a new president is not elected by the end of the current term.”

While President Waheed had insisted that he does not wish to “stay in this position even a day beyond November 11,” Yameen and Gasim have publicly appealed for the president to remain in office until the presidential election could be concluded.

Asked whether he accepted the legitimacy of the parliament resolution, President Waheed said he was advised that the proper solution would be amending the constitution “as this is a constitutional issue” that was not explicitly addressed in the constitution.

“Uncharted territory”

Speaking to Minivan News prior to the meeting, Nasheed said the country would enter “unchartered territory” if the election is not held on Saturday, insisting that his former vice president must resign for the speaker to assume office as a caretaker president.

“And I also feel that if the security forces tries to obstruct the elections process, there’s bound to be scuffles. There’s bound to be disturbances. And I’m sure the international community is increasingly losing patience. And from our interactions with them, it is very clear they have a recipe on how to deal with the situation when it comes to that,” he said.

He added that the re-scheduled polls on October 19 were not obstructed by the entire police institution, “but rogue elements, mutinous elements within the police and military”.

Nasheed also criticised the rival candidates for declaring that Waheed should remain in office after November 11.

“They want to maintain their coup government. They want to maintain it. In the meantime, they want to change the balance in the parliament by extra judiciary actions, by removing members of parliament, and therefore they will want to create a situation where they change the Elections Commission and then also remove candidates, including myself, and then have a façade of an election,” he said.

“I think that is what they are working on and that is their intention. The evidence is very clear now,” he said.

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PPM and JP threaten not to sign voter registry

The Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and Jumhooree Party (JP) have disputed the accuracy of the re-registration process and threatened not to sign the voter lists as the first round of presidential election – re-scheduled for November 9 – draws near.

At the request of the PPM and JP, the Elections Commission (EC) has already verified fingerprints on a randomly selected sample of 9,152 out of 71,000 voter re-registration forms.

However the JP in a letter tonight has called on the commission to verify all 71,000 voter re-registration forms, while the PPM has asked for the verification of an additional 6000 forms.

The Supreme Court, in its verdict annulling the September 7 vote, asked the EC to obtain fingerprints of all voters who wished to register to vote in a location other than their permanent address.

The apex court also ordered the EC to obtain signatures of all candidates on the voter lists ahead of the election. The police forcibly halted the October 19 election at the eleventh hour after PPM and JP refused to sign the voter lists.

EC President Fuwad Thowfeek has tonight expressed concern over the actions of the two parties and appealed to PPM presidential candidate Abdulla Yameen and JP presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim to be more responsible.

“I am concerned their candidates may not sign the voter registry. My hope is they will be more responsible. As candidates for the presidency of Maldives, my hope is they would prioritise the country’s interests and allow this election to proceed,” Fuwad told Minivan News.

In a letter to the EC tonight, the JP claimed they had received information from the DNR that the department had not been able to verify 12,000 fingerprints because the prints were unclear. An additional 3000 forms had fingerprints that did not belong to the voter, JP alleged.

However, Fuwad said the DNR had noted problems with only 294 forms. “But the DNR has not said even these forms are fraudulent. They told us the mismatch might be because the quality of database of fingerprints in their database is low. It may also be possible that the voter had given prints of two different fingers to the DNR and on the reregistration form,” he said.

The EC had called all 294 voters, and all voters have testified to the accuracy of the forms, Fuwad noted. There have been no complaints on reregistered location, he added.

“So I do not understand why the PPM wants us to verify another 6000 forms. Two of the forms they have asked us to verify are that of two senior EC staff. And these staff have said they have no problems with their forms. So why should the PPM ask for verification? Even if they could point out a problem with 100 forms, they have grounds to complain. But there are no complaints,” Fuwad said.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has noted 0.41 percent errors in the voter registry, but said the party accepts and will sign the voter registry.

In a statement issued today, the MDP noted a decrease of 488 voters in the November 9 voter list as compared to the September 7 voter list. New 2304 ID cards had been added to the new voter registry while 2792 ID cards from the September 7 list had been omitted on the new list. There were 61 repeated names and 1336 individuals who had come of voting age on the list, the party also noted.

“When the 1336 newly eligible voters are subtracted from the new 2304 ID cards that were added to the voter registry of November 2013, there are 968 unverifiable names on the voter list. This is 0.40 percent of eligible voters,” the MDP said.

However, the party accepts and will sign the voter registry as the percentage of irregularities are minor by international standards and as the constitution asks for an elected president by the end of the current presidential term on November 11, the party said.

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