The sole purpose of consolidating elections is to deprive citizens of their right to vote, says Niyaz
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has announced its opposition to the government's efforts to synchronize elections, asserting that such a move would undermine the public's right to vote. Ali Niyaz stated that conducting a referendum on this matter without adequate public awareness is deceptive and lacks sincere intent. Consequently, the party maintains that it is essential to challenge the government's decision to protect the best interests of the citizens.
Ali Niyaz, former Deputy Chairperson of the MDP and former Member of Parliament for the Hulhumale' constituency. | RaajjeMV | Raajje MV
Former MDP Deputy Chairperson and former Hulhumale' MP Ali Niyaz has stated that the sole purpose of synchronizing elections is to deprive citizens of their right to vote.
He made these remarks while addressing a pickup truck rally organized by the MDP.
The National Council of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has passed a resolution to oppose the proposal of holding presidential and parliamentary elections concurrently with the upcoming local council elections. Niyaz stated that the MDP opposes the move because the government is acting in a manner that undermines the public interest.
He stated that the decision to hold a referendum on synchronizing elections alongside the local council elections—which typically see the lowest voter turnout—is a deceptive and fraudulent move. Niyaz asserted that this initiative is not being pursued in good faith. He further emphasized that such a referendum should only be conducted after ensuring the public is thoroughly informed and adequately prepared for the matter.
This is not being done to cut costs. If it were, they would have reduced the number of political appointees to save money. This move only saves about 30 million Rufiyaa. The expenses incurred by the Ministry of Local Government and other relevant ministries on these institutions are simply wasteful.Ali Niyaz, former MDP Deputy Chairperson and former Hulhumale' MP
Niyaz stated that consolidating elections would not yield significant results. Furthermore, he criticized the government's administrative approach, specifically noting that HDC is not managing Hulhumale's affairs effectively.
Senior officials of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) are calling for public protests against the government's efforts to hold the local council and parliamentary elections simultaneously. The party further asserted that they will not remain idle while the government attempts to mislead the public on this matter.
