MDP: Decision not to place ballot boxes abroad aimed at suppressing low support for PNC

The main opposition party, MDP, has alleged that the government's decision not to place ballot boxes in any foreign countries for the upcoming local council elections is a calculated move. The party claims this decision stems from a lack of support for the ruling PNC among Maldivians living abroad.

The Elections Commission decided last Tuesday not to facilitate overseas voting for the upcoming referendum on synchronizing local council, presidential, and parliamentary elections. Consequently, the Commission has announced that no ballot boxes will be stationed in any foreign countries for this vote.

Speaking at a press conference held by the MDP on Thursday, the party's spokesperson for the council elections and former Dhidhdhoo MP, Abdulla Waheed, stated that the Elections Commission has succumbed to government influence. He further alleged that the entire electoral process is being conducted in a manner that would deprive many citizens of their right to vote.

Waheed further noted that the primary reason for the decision not to place ballot boxes abroad was the government's certainty that the PNC would not secure the votes of students pursuing higher education overseas.

Even today, the government has failed to disburse the allowances owed to students pursuing higher education abroad. Consequently, certain that they would not secure the votes of these students, the government has utilized the Elections Commission to ensure that no polling stations are established in those locations.

Abdulla Waheed, Spokesperson for the MDP Local Council Election campaign.

Furthermore, he noted that the threshold set by the Elections Commission for placing ballot boxes abroad is exceptionally high, particularly in Sri Lanka and Malaysia, where the largest populations of Maldivians reside.

Waheed noted that while the Elections Commission requires 2,000 people to register before a ballot box can be placed abroad, polling stations are established in local island communities with populations of fewer than 400. Consequently, he called for a reduction in the threshold for placing ballot boxes in foreign countries to ensure the right to vote for a greater number of citizens.

Our message to the Elections Commission is that we request the electoral arrangements be organized in a manner that ensures the maximum number of citizens can participate in this vote. Furthermore, it is essential to lower the current thresholds established for placing ballot boxes abroad and on industrial islands, thereby facilitating voting access in those locations.

Abdullah Waheed, the MDP spokesperson for the council elections.

By the time the re-registration deadline for the upcoming election expired last Sunday, a total of 25,454 applications had been submitted. However, authorities have decided not to place ballot boxes in several key locations that have traditionally hosted them in previous elections. These include several resorts with large Maldivian workforces, as well as countries with significant Maldivian populations, such as Malaysia and Sri Lanka.