The European Union (EU) will not be observing the upcoming Presidential Elections because "conditions for credible and transparent elections have not been met", the organisation has declared.
In a statement given to The Edition, the EU revealed that it informed the Elections Commission (EC) the reason for declining to observe the election, on August 14.
According to an EU spokesperson, the union had defined its position regarding the political situation of Maldives in the 'Council Conclusions' adopted last February 26.
The EU had announced restrictive measures against Maldives, along with threats of targeted sanctions against individuals responsible for "undermining the rule or obstructing an inclusive political solution" and those who have committed "serious human rights violations".
The spokesperson stated that the reports of the EU's Follow-up Mission in April 2018 highlighted a number of these concerns which remain unaddressed.
Noting the framework for targeted restrictive sanctions adopted by EU on July 16, the spokesperson added that any follow-up decisions in this light will be taken unanimously by the EU Council though it remains unclear when a decision will be taken.
The EC had revealed last month that the EU informed the Maldives' Ministry of Foreign Affairs that it was not interested in observing the Presidential Election slated for September 23. The EU's explanation for declining to monitor the election comes in the wake of comments made by Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Dr. Mohamed Shainee earlier this week, in which he had refuted the opposition's allegations that the EU and United Nations (UN) were not observing the election because of doubts regarding the election's independence.
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