Ex-Pres. calls on EC to uphold the will of the people

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has called on the Elections Commission (EC) “to uphold the will of all citizens who cast their ballots” for the Local Council Elections.

The former President’s comment come as the initial results of Saturday’s council election shows that opposition is in the lead, taking majority in all cities. However, EC is yet to release official results.

Nasheed’s call to the Commission is regarding the delay in announcing the initial results amidst reports of possible vote tampering. EC is to announce results later on Monday.

In a tweet sent out on Monday, the leader of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) also stressed that “the council elections projections show landslide MDP/opposition victory”.

On Sunday, he said that the opposition’s clear win “shows that President Abdulla Yameen’s days are numbered”, adding that “democracy will be restored”.

Late Saturday night, President Yameen’s half-brother and Nasheed’s former foe, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom thanked the three other leaders in the opposition coalition.

“Thank you President Mohamed Nasheed, Honorable Qasim Ibrahim, Honorable Sheikh Imran Abdulla for your great cooperation in our four-party reform initiative. Nation first!” reads Maumoon’s tweet.

Nasheed has been sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment and is living in exile in the United Kingdom, while Sheikh Imran is serving a 12-year sentence in Maafushi Jail, and Qasim has been ordered to be kept in police custody in Dhoonidhoo Detention Center until an ongoing trial against him concludes.

The Local Council Elections was held on May 6, after being delayed thrice since December 2016. It was originally scheduled for January 24, but was postponed by two months by the Civil Court, after President Abdulla Yameen’s faction of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) filed a case, saying it was unable to prepare due to internal conflicts. It was postponed twice more.