Former President Mohamed Nasheed has said that all resorts should have ballot boxes for September’s presidential election.
The self-exiled opposition leader said this in a tweet on Monday after Elections Commission (EC) President Ahmed Shareef said that most resorts do not want to place polling stations.
In the tweet, Nasheed said that Maldivian resorts are in state land and therefore the state is free to conduct its work in the resorts at any time.
In the tweet typed in Dhivehi, he also called on the EC 'to stop making excuses'.
Raajjeyga resort hadhaafa hunnanee ban’daara bimuga. Konme irehgaves e thanthanugai dhaulathuge masakkaiy kureveyne. EC in bahanaa dhehkun huttaalaa. Hurihaa resort ehgaves vote foshi hunanjeheyne
— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) July 23, 2018
Earlier on Monday, former Attorney General and prominent lawyer Husnu Al Suood called for a workers strike on resorts refusing to place ballot boxes.
EC itself drew criticism recently for initially allowing polling stations at only seven resorts. Despite public condemnation, EC decided to place polling stations at resorts with more than 100 eligible voters only after the ruling party called on it to do so.
At a press conference on Sunday, EC President Shareef said that most resorts do not want to place ballot boxes and that he is willing to publicize the names of those resorts if required.
