MDP heads to EC to formally raise four primary concerns regarding the upcoming vote

The main opposition party, the MDP, has met with the Elections Commission to share its concerns regarding the proposed referendum on aligning the schedules of presidential and parliamentary elections.

During the meeting, the MDP highlighted four key concerns regarding the election arrangements that could potentially compromise the integrity of the vote. Speaking to RaajjeTV following the sit-down, former Hulhumale' MP Ali Niyaz stated that their primary concern involves the current procedures for invalidating ballot papers. He noted that in Local Council Elections, where voters must mark choices for the Mayor, seats reserved for women, and councilors on a single ballot, the law currently dictates that a discrepancy in any one section renders the entire ballot paper void. Niyaz described this as a significant challenge. He further noted that members of the Elections Commission assured them they would take these concerns into further consideration.

The second issue highlighted by the MDP is the decision not to place ballot boxes abroad. The party has requested that additional opportunities be provided for overseas voting to the fullest extent permitted by law. Furthermore, the MDP expressed concern over the Elections Commission's assertion that it is not legally mandated to conduct public awareness campaigns regarding the referendum. Niyaz stated that holding such a significant vote without adequate public education is unacceptable.

They believe that under the current legal framework, they are not mandated to conduct public awareness campaigns regarding the referendum. This is a matter of great concern for us. If they do not take responsibility, who will? It appears as though the referendum will proceed without any prior public education. Furthermore, the current arrangement for the vote count prioritizes the local council elections first, followed by the Women's Development Committee (WDC) elections, leaving the referendum count for last. This poses a significant challenge because our monitors and observers were primarily appointed for the local council elections. We lack representation to observe and monitor the referendum proceedings in several islands. For instance, we currently do not have candidates in thirty islands. Consequently, the MDP will not have personnel stationed in those locations to oversee and monitor the referendum process.

Ali Niyaz, the former Member of Parliament for the Hulhumale' constituency.

Niyaz stated that in previous council elections, the vote-counting process typically extended late into the night.

Niyaz stated that scheduling the referendum vote count for the late-night hours appears to be a move made in bad faith, suggesting an intent to manipulate the results. Consequently, the MDP has formally requested the Elections Commission to prioritize the referendum count as the first task. According to Niyaz, the Commission has indicated that they will take these proposals into consideration.