MDP urges police to ensure upcoming elections are fair
Waheed stated that while the police play a vital role in ensuring a fair election, he is concerned by the failure of institutions to investigate submitted complaints. He further noted that the actions of the Elections Commission raise serious questions regarding the integrity and independence of the electoral process.
Police have cordoned off the area surrounding the MDP headquarters using barricades. | RaajjeMV | RaajjeMV
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has called upon the police service to ensure that the Local Council Elections, the Women's Development Committee elections, and the scheduled referendum—all set to take place on April 4—are conducted fairly and transparently.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Abdulla Waheed, MDP's spokesperson for the upcoming elections, stated that campaign activities are currently underway across the entire country. He further noted that extensive efforts are being made to raise public awareness regarding the upcoming referendum.
Furthermore, Waheed stated that the current administration is obstructing their campaign efforts and damaging the posters and billboards of MDP candidates. He added that these incidents are being reported to the police.
Waheed stated that the police play a vital role in ensuring a free and fair election. He further urged the force to carry out their duties free from any form of influence.
Regarding this election, we have previously highlighted the restrictions we faced in putting up posters in Hulhumalé. We have also spoken about the vandalism of posters in Fuvahmulah and the various obstacles encountered regarding our campaign materials in Addu. Most recently, our candidates' posters in GA. Villingili were vandalized and defaced with waste oil. These matters have been reported to the police. For this to be a fair election, the authorities must improve their conduct and ensure our complaints are properly investigated. This requires proactive measures to prevent such incidents, particularly in the islands, and to ensure that space is not given for such actions to occur. We call for a concerted effort to ensure this remains a fair and just election.Abdulla Waheed, MDP Spokesperson for the Council Election.
Furthermore, Waheed condemned independent institutions for failing to investigate election-related grievances despite formal complaints being filed. He added that the current conduct of the Elections Commission has cast significant doubt on the integrity of the upcoming election.
