The opposition MDP expressed concern today over the decision not to place vote boxes abroad for the Local Council Elections, the Women's Development Committee elections, and the referendum on whether to hold these two major elections on the same day, all scheduled for April 4.
At a media briefing held by MDP, the chief spokesperson appointed by MDP for the Local Council Elections, Abdullah Waheed (Wadde), alleged that the Elections Commission has been acting from the beginning in a way that prevents many people from being able to vote. Wadde stated that MDP has always been expressing this concern.
"In the response the Elections Commission sent to me yesterday, they also stated that since matters have now been finalized, there is no longer any room to place additional boxes," Wadde said.
"That is a matter of our extreme concern. Especially when there is a national election alongside the Local Council election, and as it is an election where the majority of Maldivian citizens must participate in making a decision, the fact that it is arranged in a way that prevents participation, specifically ensuring that citizens living in Lanka, India, and Malaysia cannot vote, is evidence that this does not appear to be proceeding fairly," Wadde said.
Despite his statements, the Elections Commission had previously stated that ballot boxes would not be placed abroad this time because the number of people required by the commission had not registered.
According to the commission, a vote box will be placed abroad if at least 2,000 people register to vote in that country, and if at least 40 people from a single constituency register. The decision to place vote boxes in resorts and industrial work sites was based on a minimum of 30 people registering.
However, the number of Maldivians who registered from abroad did not even come close to that figure.
The Elections Commission stated that by the end of the re-registration period, 26,454 people had submitted forms. These are:
- To vote in islands and Malé: 24,429 people
- To vote in prisons: 1,326 people
- To vote in industrial areas: 11 people
- To vote in Malaysia: 499 people
- To vote in Sri Lanka: 189 people
- Not enough people re-registered from any foreign country to meet the required number for a ballot box.
The Vice President of the Elections Commission, Abdul Rahman Salah Rasheed, has stated that because that number of people did not re-register, no ballot boxes are being placed abroad or in any industrial islands. Even at Hulhulé airport, where a large number of Maldivians work, only 11 people re-registered to vote.
In today's media briefing by MDP, Wadde called on the Elections Commission to carry out election matters while remaining free from influence.
He said that MDP had also requested the Elections Commission to count the results of the referendum before counting the votes for the Local Council Elections. As a reason for this, Wadde said that if the Local Council election votes are counted first, there is a chance that many people might leave the hall before the counting of the referendum votes begins.
"Because if many people are not there, there is an opportunity for that vote to be manipulated and for many things to happen that could lead to the loss of the vote's validity. However, the response sent to us by the Elections Commission stated that since the Local Council election is connected to candidates and the interest in that election would be greater, that would be the first vote to be counted," Wadde said.
