Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has been registered to cast his vote for the upcoming Presidential Election, at the prison facility on Maafushi island where he is doing time for various charges.

This was revealed through twitter in a tweet posted by Gayoom’s lawyer Hussain Shameem on Wednesday morning.

Lawyer Shameem revealed the completion of his jailed client’s registration process at a time when Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) has drawn public criticism for negligence on its part in re-registering jailed politicians.

Lawyers have stressed that while a long time has passed since some prisoners had handed their re-registration forms to officials of the MCS, the service is yet to submit the forms at the Elections Commission, asserting that this is being done to obstruct the voting rights of political prisoners.

Earlier this week, members of the opposition coalition, along with legal representatives of political convicts had visited the MCS to meet with senior officials in order to share their concerns regarding the matter. However, officials at the MCS had refused to meet with jailed politicians’ lawyers, asking them to request for appointments.

Gayoom, the nation’s long serving statesman had been convicted over obstruction charges in mid-June and is serving a sentence of one year, seven months and six days in incarceration with additional charges including terrorism, pending against him.