Maldives self-exiled leaders must return to prison to cast votes
Nasheed and Qasim have been granted political asylum, in United Kingdom and Germany respectively
Former President Mohamed and Qasim Ibrahim
Elections Commission (EC) has said that self-exiled opposition leaders, former President Mohamed Nasheed and Jumhooree Party's Qasim Ibrahim, will have to cast their votes 'in prison'.
Convicted separately, Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in terror charges in March 2015 while Qasim were sentenced to over three years in August 2017, over bribery. Both have been granted political asylum, Nasheed in United Kingdom and Qasim in Germany, since.
Commission spokesperson Ahmed Akram told RaajjeMV that the Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) is tasked with carrying out the re-registration process of all convicts, adding that they can only be re-registered to vote at a prison where they are serving their sentences.
Noting that Nasheed had not applied to register to vote at a different location, Akram said that Qasim had applied to cast his vote in London.
He added that Qasim has been informed that he will not be allowed to vote in London.
Jailed opposition leaders, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Adhaalath Party's Imran Abdulla, along with detained lawmakers, have been registered to vote at the prisons they are serving sentences at.
