EC does not believe it is responsible for educating public on referendum details or necessity of voting: Niyaz
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has invited the Elections Commission to participate in its public awareness activities regarding the upcoming referendum on consolidating elections. Expressing concern over the lack of public information regarding the vote, MDP member Ali Niyaz noted that while the party is leading awareness efforts, the Commission does not believe its mandate includes advocating for specific outcomes or explaining the underlying reasons for the proposed changes.
Former Hulhumale' MP Ali Niyaz gives an interview to RaajjeTV. | RaajjeMV | Raajje MV
Former Hulhumale' MP Ali Niyaz has stated that the Elections Commission does not believe it is necessary to inform the public about the details or the underlying reasons for the referendum on synchronizing presidential and parliamentary elections.
The main opposition party, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), on Thursday met with members of the Elections Commission to express concerns regarding the proposed referendum on holding presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously. Speaking to RaajjeTV following the meeting, former Hulhumale' MP Ali Niyaz stated that the party has extended an invitation to the Elections Commission to participate in MDP’s upcoming street rallies aimed at raising public awareness about the referendum.
Ali Niyaz stated that members of the Elections Commission do not believe the current Referendum Act mandates them to explain the reasons for voting for a particular option. He further noted that the Commission remains unclear on who is responsible for disseminating such information to the public. Consequently, Niyaz said the Commission has been requested to participate in the MDP's daily activities to provide the necessary information to the citizens.
Under the current Referendum Act, they are required to explain the reasons for their refusal. However, they remain unclear on who is responsible for executing that process. Consequently, we have invited the Elections Commission to participate in our daily pickup-truck rallies. We are requesting that they provide two specific pieces of information each day. While they maintain that the Referendum Act mandates a designated party to carry this out, they have failed to provide a detailed explanation regarding the provisions of the eighth amendment.Ali Niyaz, the former Member of Parliament for the Hulhumale' constituency.
During the meeting, the Elections Commission shared statistics regarding its efforts to raise public awareness about the referendum. The Commission noted that it had conducted eight hours of awareness programming and distributed over four thousand leaflets. However, Ali Niyaz stated that during the MDP’s travels across all islands of the Maldives, they found that the general public was not even aware that a second election or a referendum was scheduled to take place.
Ali Niyaz further stated that the details of the eighth amendment to the Constitution must be clearly explained to the public, ensuring they understand the reasons for voting "yes" or "no." He also noted that the Elections Commission is working to elevate its public awareness efforts, and he assured the Commission that the MDP would provide its full support in this endeavor.
