Ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) took to the streets on Monday night, accusing the Elections Commission of fraud in the 2018 presidential election.

As such, senior officials of the ruling party gathered in front of PPM’s head office located in the Henveiru ward of capital city Male’, where they were later joined by incumbent President Abdulla Yameen- who lost in the election- later.

Prior to his arrival, a Housing Development Corporation (HDC) bus was seen arriving there, carrying some protesters.

RaajjeMV understands that PPM had sent text messages to party supporters, which asks them to join the party’s movement 'to make the Elections Commission answerable for hoodwinking the votes of the Presidential polls'.

Prior to that, a senior official of the party 'leaked' an audio clip online, allegedly between Elections Commissioner Ahmed Shareef and another individual. However, Shareef has dismissed the clip, saying that 'it is forged with a mix of various conversations'. Shareef, a close ally of Yameen, was appointed to the post a few months prior to September's election, in March. Up to that point, he was a senior official in the incumbent president's rebid campaign.

In the leaked audio clip, Shareef is heard saying that at the moment, President Yameen wants to “get it done” no matter what is put at stake, and the person on the other end of the line is heard telling him to “not follow through orders” no matter what he is told to do.

Lawmakers representing the ruling party in Parliament had held separate press conferences on Monday, pinning several allegations of corruption on the board of members at the EC. The audio clip was leaked after these press conferences concluded.

The opposition coalition has since expressed concern at Yameen's continued attempts to nullify the election results. Furthermore, during this crucial time, reports have also surfaced that the authorities are preparing to declare a nation-wide State of Emergency anew and arrest members of the Elections Commission under accusations of bribery.

Earlier on Monday, the President appointed a new commissioner of police, after transferring the acting commissioner Abdulla Nawaz to the environment ministry. Nawaz had last week announced that the police 'will uphold the decision of the Maldivian people', and had also met with President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

PPM was allowed to hold a rally infront of its office on Monday night, despite having passed an amendment restricting freedom of assembly in 2016. With the amendment, police had even issued a statement saying that gatherings in the capital city can only be held in the Carnival Area, and that permission is required to hold gatherings anywhere else.