Time has come for international community to name and shame all guilty of influencing ballots: Swire

Former Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister and Conservative MP for East Devon, Hugo Swire has said that politically influenced and controlled Elections Commission of the Maldives is seen attempting to freeze out opposition parties as Presidential election slated for September approaches.

In a tweet posted on his official twitter account on Wednesday, Swire wrote that the time has come for the international community to "name and shame all those guilty" of attempting to influence the ballots.

Swire also wrote that to date, adequate reaction from the international community has not been uttered, pointing out that "more robust action is desperately needed".

The former minister further wrote that time may now be approaching when celebrities and tourists start to boycott the Maldives.

Swire in his consecutive tweet questions whether this is a matter worth thinking about.

Swire's tweets come at a time the Elections Commission has threatened main opposition party Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to abolish the party after having released a statement about primary election guidelines following MDP's announcement that party leader and former President Mohamed Nasheed will be single contestant running for party ticket for the Presidential Election.

According to the commission, Nasheed will be barred from contesting given that a lengthy prison sentence has been imposed on him.

While Nasheed along with the three other opposing leaders, Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Jumhooree Party leader Gasim Ibrahim as well as Adhaalath Party leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla have all been sentenced to lengthy prison terms, Nasheed remains in self-exile in neighboring Sri Lanka, unable to return home as it would mean going back behind bars.