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MDP votes in primary, despite police disruptions

Farah Ahmed
31 May 2018, MVT 09:48
A member of main opposition MDP casts vote in a tin box after the police barred the primary election and confiscated the ballot boxes --
Farah Ahmed
31 May 2018, MVT 09:48

Main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Wednesday night concluded voting in its primary election, despite attempts by the police to stop the vote.

Polling commenced at 2 p.m. Wednesday; however, just an hour later, the police raided the MDP hubs in the capital as well as the atolls, and confiscated the ballot boxes, as per a warrant issued by the Civil Court earlier in the day.

The warrant issued by Judge Ali Abdullah ordered the police and all relevant state institutions to stop the MDP primary election from taking place. The court had reiterated that former President Mohamed Nasheed, who was convicted on terrorism charges for 13-years of imprisonment, should not be allowed to take part in the party’s primary since his conviction disqualifies him from running for office.

After the police’s initial disruption, MDP was allowed to continue polling for a short while, until the police began confiscating the ballot boxes again later in the evening.

Despite the police’s efforts to shut down the party’s primary, MDP had found clever ways to continue the vote. MDP officials had carried plastic bags, iceboxes and other containers from door to door, taking its members’ votes.

In Gann, Laamu Atoll, MDP members began casting votes in a cement mixer when their ballot box was confiscated by the police.

MDP had also denied the claims that its members would be allowed to vote via SMS. The party later said that the vote would be taken by ballot only.

“We would like to note that only ballot papers will be accepted, and all other forms of voting will be rejected,” the party stated.

MDP had placed over 200 ballot boxes for its primary election. Polling stations were also set up in Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia and the UK.

Former president Nasheed is running unopposed as MDP’s sole candidate. He is currently in Sri Lanka.

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