The current composition of the Elections Commission of the Maldives is untrustworthy and the Maldivian people want its members to be reappointed, says former president Mohamed Nasheed.

Nasheed said this through a post on Twitter which translates to, ‘while political parties find the EC (Elections Commission) to be untrustworthy, and their word means cannot be relied upon either – the commission needs to be reappointed before the elections, and the criminal actions in threatening (Maldivian Democratic Party) needs to be investigated’.

Ahead of MDP’s primary ballots, the commission had threatened the party with dissolution if Nasheed is allowed to contest, on the basis of him being sentenced to prison term on terror charges, that have since been denounced even by the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

Nasheed’s sentiments are in line with the Joint Opposition’s criticism of the Elections Commission, the primary point of concern being its independence. The commission’s clampdown on the party has been described as politically motivated.