Yameen strongly criticizes EC over its conduct regarding Saturday's elections
Yameen has accused the Elections Commission of negligence in raising public awareness regarding electoral processes. Criticizing the design of ballot papers and the re-registration procedures, he asserted that the Commission acted irresponsibly by disenfranchising a significant number of voters. Furthermore, Yameen alleged that the government is attempting to obstruct the voting process by disrupting transportation systems to prevent citizens from casting their ballots.
Former President Abdulla Yameen casts his ballot in the three elections being held today. | RaajjeMV | Theyraonline
Former President Abdulla Yameen has strongly criticized the Elections Commission (EC) over its handling of the arrangements for three upcoming elections.
Speaking to the press after casting his ballot, Yameen emphasized the significance of today’s local council and Women’s Development Committee elections, as well as the referendum. He underscored that every eligible citizen must exercise their right to vote and urged the public to fulfill this civic duty.
Referring to the referendum, Yameen emphasized that the vote is not optional but a mandatory obligation. He stated that the outcome of this vote will shape the entire political future of the Maldives.
Sharply criticizing the Elections Commission (EC), former President Abdulla Yameen expressed deep concern over the commission's failure to raise public awareness regarding the upcoming elections. He further noted that the ballot paper designs for these three elections are not user-friendly for the general public. "For instance, there are approximately 14,000 Maldivians living in Sri Lanka, and a similar number in Malaysia. Consequently, a significant number of eligible voters are being deprived of their right to vote. The Elections Commission claims that re-registration numbers did not meet their expectations. However, this is a task the commission should have spearheaded proactively and well in advance. The EC's objective should be to ensure that the majority of citizens—if not all eligible voters—understand how to participate. Instead, the commission has been negligent. They dismissively claim people lack interest in re-registering, and therefore, the commission itself lacks interest. The commitment of the state institution responsible for this process must outweigh the interest of individual citizens. Therefore, I would say this has been handled with extreme irresponsibility," said former President Abdulla Yameen.
Referring to the current administration, Yameen stated that the government is acting out of extreme fear and has effectively brought nationwide travel to a standstill. He further alleged that actions have been taken to disenfranchise a large number of voters, adding that the Elections Commission is operating with a high degree of irresponsibility.
