Elections Commission (EC) has revealed that the commission’s decision to mandate official resort stamps on re-registration forms of local employees, came in order to avoid foul play and ensure legitimacy in the re-registration process.
Whilst allegations of foul play have been fired between opposing parties, EC member Ahmed Akram stated that the commission will also ensure there is no foul play in the re-registrations carried out by political parties.
Akram further explained that the commission is following the procedures of the 2013 presidential elections, in mandating official resort stamps on the re-registration forms in order to protect voters' rights.
Main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had earlier filed a complaint at the Elections Commission (EC) over mandating re-registration forms of resort employees to be stamped by their respective resorts.
MDP's Secretary General Anas Abdul Sattar took to Twitter last Monday, and stated that the commission was requiring employees of resorts to get their re-registration forms stamped by their employers, whilst the commission is accepting forms collected through ministries and state-owned enterprises without the respective stamps.
A total of 263,000 eligible voters are listed in the voters' registry publicized by EC for the upcoming election slated for September 23. According to local news media ‘Mihaaru’, 26 percent (70,000 people) of the total eligible voters are expected to re-register prior to the upcoming election.
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