Former President Mohamed Nasheed says that incumbent President Abdulla Yameen knows that “he cannot win a fair election”, which he says is the reason for the Local Council Elections delay.
The Local Council Elections, initially scheduled for January 14, was delayed for a third time, on Friday night, this time due to the H1N1 outbreak across the country.
READ MORE: Delay came during advisory committee meetings: opposition
Former President Nasheed, via twitter on Friday night, said that the President delayed the council elections because he “is convinced he cannot win a fair election”.
He added that the government’s “lies upon lies” are “unacceptable”.
President Yameen is convinced he can't win a fair election and has delayed #LCE2017 for the 3rd time. A case of lies upon lies. Unacceptable
— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) March 17, 2017
In December 2016, the council elections, set for January 14, were delayed by two months, after Civil Court ruled in favor of President Yameen’s faction of the divided Progressive Party of Maldives; who had sought to delay the elections citing “internal conflict”.
The council elections were then set for April 8, but postponed again to April 14, claiming that voting stations could not be set up at schools on the date. April 8, 2017 is a Saturday, which is the weekend in the Maldives.
On Friday night, the Elections Commission announced the delay, saying that it has been re-scheduled for May 6, due the high prevalence of the flu in the country.
