Adhaalath Party presidential candidate Dr Ikram boycotts election

Dr Ikram Abdul Sattar, one of two candidates contesting the presidency of the Adhaalath Party, has announced that he will boycott the party’s election scheduled for 31 January.

Only two candidates are contesting the post: Dr Ikram and the party’s current vice-president, Sheikh Mohamed Shifan.

In a statement, Dr Ikram said he would not participate in the election, claiming the process violated democratic principles and failed to meet standards of transparency and fairness.

Earlier, a letter submitted on his behalf to the Elections Commission (EC) called for the party to halt the use of electronic voting, alleging that the current party leadership could manipulate the results. The party has rejected the allegation, saying the election is being conducted in line with its constitution and election regulations.

Dr Ikram said repeated requests to allow party members to freely support and vote for candidates of their choice had been ignored. He also alleged that the party had refused to allow verification of the list of eligible voters.

He said that he requested the party requested to provide a list of members’ phone numbers to verify eligibility, but the party had refused stating that this was inappropriate as it involved sharing members’ personal information.

Dr Ikram further accused the party of appointing officials to branches and constituencies without elections, in violation of party rules. He alleged that individuals who did not meet eligibility requirements, as well as some who had not consented to contest positions, were appointed as branch and constituency presidents.

He also claimed that the party’s previous online presidential election had been criticized by ordinary members over alleged fraud and vote rigging. According to Dr Ikram, an investigation by ICT professionals found vulnerabilities in the customized mobile application previously used for voting, which he said could allow interference in the voting process.

However, the Adhaalath Party has said the upcoming election will use the “Fahi Vote” system, which it described as a trusted platform used by various institutions in the country.

Dr Ikram said the Elections Commission had also advised the party to conduct the election in a transparent manner.

Explaining his decision, he said the election was being conducted in a manner that was “not credible, not friendly and forced”, leaving him no choice but to withdraw.

Dr Ikram holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in Shariah and law from the International Islamic University Malaysia. His rival, Sheikh Mohamed Shifan, holds a degree in judiciary from the Islamic University of Madinah and a master’s degree in business administration from the Business School of Maldives.