Opposition files complaints regarding serious issues in elections
The coalition filed the complaints after meeting with commission president Ahmed Shareef.
MDP deputy chairperson Ali Niyaz
The opposition coalition has filed complaints to the Elections Commission (EC) regarding serious issues in September’s presidential election.
The coalition filed the complaints after meeting with commission president Ahmed Shareef.
The opposition members that joined the meeting were Maldivian Democratic Party deputy chairperson Ali Niyaz, Adhaalath Party member Ahmed Nooman, representative of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s faction of the ruling party Mohamed Faisal, and Jumhooree Party’s acting leader Dr. Hussain Rasheed Hassan.
Speaking to the media after the meeting at the commission, Ali Niyaz said that they do not believe that their complaints will be heard and that the EC has to be changed to make way for a free and fair election. The opposition will do whatever it takes to change the EC before the election on September 23, he added.
According to Niyaz, the opposition filed three complaints to the commission. The first being the reduced number of polling stations at resorts, the second being that EC officials at polling stations would help casting the vote for disabled peoples, the third being accusations that the EC officials at the polling stations would be handpicked by first lady Fathimath Ibrahim.
Dr. Hussain Rasheed Hassan said that it was likely that authorities have decided to only allow EC officials to cast the vote of disabled peoples, instead of someone they trust. He added that the change was made without discussing it with the national advisory committee.
Dr. Hassan said that the change will deprive the 6000 registered people with special needs of the right to vote.
Mohamed Faisal said that three percent of eligible voters registered to vote in resorts in the 2013 election and that reducing the number of polling stations in resorts could influence the result.
