EC had no role in determining the winner of the election: Shareef
Shareef said that they were content with the top court verdict ‘as it proves what [they] have been saying’ that the election was carried out in a fair and free manner
Elections Commission president Ahmed Shareef
Elections Commission (EC) has reiterated that it did not play any role in determining the winner of the 2018 presidential election.
EC president Ahmed Shareef said this on Monday, at the Commission’s first press conference since the Supreme Court verdict.
Noting that ‘one will lose and the other will win’, whether it be an election or a tournament, Shareef asserted that the Commission had no role in the matter other than carrying out their work ‘within the legal mandate’.
He further noted that international observers had also deemed the election ‘free, fair and transparent,’ adding that the Commission has since received the reports from those that observed the election.
While outgoing President Abdulla Yameen had filed a petition against the Commission at the Supreme Court, alleging fraud and seeking election annulment, the court on Sunday rejected the petition stating that there were ‘no legal basis for annulment’.
Shareef said that they were content with the top court verdict ‘as it proves what [they] have been saying’ that the election was carried out in a fair and free manner.
Also referring to the various allegations made by the Joint Opposition prior to the election, he noted that these were made against President Yameen and added that the Commission has always maintained that it will not allow anyone to influence or rig the election.
He said that one of the reasons for holding ‘long’ press conferences even prior to the election was to avoid election rigging, while the other was to create public awareness.
Prior to his appointment to the Commission in March this year, Shareef was seen as a senior figure at ruling party events and a close ally of Yameen.
Speaking on this, he said that he has ‘never denied prior political affiliations’ but that following his appointment as EC president he had worked to keep himself within a limit.
Noting that Yameen had claimed that he had failed to be loyal to him, the Elections Commissioner indicated that his loyalty was with the people following his appointment to the post.
