EC President calls out irresponsible political parties amid vote-related unrest in the capital
The EC has been working to re-count votes cast into 18 ballot boxes before announcing verified interim results for Saturday's elections
President of the Elections Commission Ahmed
President of the Elections Commission (EC) Ahmed Shareef has called out political parties amid unrest in the nation's capital following Saturday's Local Council and Women's Development Committee Elections.
In an appearance on Raajje TV's "Fala Surukhee" programme, EC President Ahmed Shareef stated that the unrest which had occurred outside the commission's building on Tuesday had been the result of irresponsible and confrontational behavior on behalf of political parties.
A window of main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)'s office in Male' City had been broken with a brick on Tuesday. Lead figures and supporters of both MDP and the opposition's Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) had also gathered outside the Elections Commission, while EC officials had been working to re-count votes and confirm results for Saturday's elections.
EC President Shareef further revealed that leaders and supporters of the opposition and main-ruling MDP had gathered outside the commission's building while EC officials had been working to verify the results of some vote sheets. Shareef also noted that the EC had begun the verification process after informing candidates that they would be doing so on Tuesday. The EC has since been forced to delay the re-counting of votes for 18 ballot boxes, for which the commission has noted inconsistencies in data entry.
In addition to this, EC President Shareef revealed that they were now being forced to amp up security at the Elections Commission building, which formerly housed Jamaluddin School in the capital of Male', and that this was a measure the commission had not needed to take before.
EC President Shareef also assured that no one would be able to tamper with the elections result just because some ballot boxes had seen their security seals ripped open for the re-counting of votes. Shareef has also remarked that re-counting of votes had not been initiated due to complaints on behalf of the public, but in order to verify results prior to announcing them.
Shareef also denied statements being made by political parties in the media following Tuesday's unrest, and maintained that the EC would always be working independently of influences and bias. EC President Shareef asserts that free and fair elections had taken place across the Maldives on Saturday, and that no parties had attempted to exert undue influence on the elections or alter results.
