Transparency Maldives concerned over government stopping MDP primaries

Transparency Maldives (TM) has raised concerns regarding the government's attempt to stop the Maldivian Democratic Party's (MDP) primary election.

The Civil Court has ordered the police service to stop the MDP's primaries after claiming that it was illegal to allow a convict, such as former President Mohamed Nasheed, to contest in the election.

TM highlighted that even though some of the candidates contesting in the party primaries are deemed unqualified for candidacy in the upcoming presidential election due to their prison convictions, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have questioned the trials held against the said candidates.

Both the aforementioned international organizations have decided that the former president, who is the only candidate running for MDP's ticket for the upcoming election, can contest in it regardless of the charges.

Therefore TM calls on the authorities to find a solution for the court rulings issued under suspicious conditions and to provide an environment for all the political parties to carry out their activities.

Furthermore the local organization has called on the government to maintain the rule of law instead of following laws and regulations implemented to fulfill the political motives of certain groups.

While the purpose of a presidential election is to allow the citizens to choose their president, Transparency Maldives requests national institutions to conduct their actions in a way that does not interfere with citizens' decisions.