A protest was held outside the Elections Commission (EC) office on Monday calling for the dismissal of its president Ahmed Shareef and for a free and fair presidential election.

Members of the opposition coalition parties gathered with placards outside the EC office at 1:30pm.

The protesters said that Shareef is a member of the ruling party and that therefore having him leading the EC will not allow for a free and fair election.

The protesters also called for fraud-free presidential election on September 23 that 'can be accepted by all'.

While opposition members arrived outside the EC office after announcing their protest, there were no police officers at the scene. However, officers came and pushed them back 15 minutes later.

A RaajjeTV cameraman covering the protest was also pushed back obstructing his coverage.