Maldivian former president and presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed (C) arrives at a local polling station to cast his vote in Male on November 9, 2013. (AFP photo)
The Maldives will vote in a second round presidential poll run-off but there is uncertainty on whether it will be held as agreed on Sunday.
Fuad Thaufeeq, the head of the Election Commission, said in a press conference on Saturday that it will be impossible to hold the run-off on Sunday as the government isn't giving the necessary support. He also said that the second and third placed candidates had not signed the voter registry as mandated by the country's top court.
The Supreme Court on Saturday night is also hearing a plea to postpone the run-off. In the first round re-vote, none of the three candidates got to the magic 50 per cent + one vote. With 459 of the 475 ballot boxes counted, ex-President Mohamed Nasheed won 45.08 per cent of the votes. Abdulla Yameen Gayoom, former autocrat Maumoon Gayoom's brother, was second with 31.21 per cent. They will face each other in the run-off. Qasim Ibrahim was third with 23.70 per cent and is knocked out of the race. His Jumhoory Party has petitioned the Supreme Court to postpone the run-off on Sunday, since its plea says, there is no time to campaign and not enough time for the third placed candidate to tell his voters which of the other two candidates he supports. The Supreme Court has admitted the plea to be heard Saturday night.
Ex-President Nasheed's party, the MDP, has said the run-off must be held on Sunday. The party deputy spokesperson Ali Shiyam said in a statement, "The international community must apply pressure - including targeted, punitive sanctions - on those individuals who seek to undermine Maldivian democracy." He added, "Our opponents are, once again, trying to subvert democracy by refusing to sign the voter lists for tomorrow's election."
In his first reaction, Mr Nasheed congratulated the second placed candidate and said he was ready to take him on in the run-off. The Supreme Court on Saturday ruled that current President Mohamed Waheed can stay in power even if a new President isn't elected by November 11 - as constitutionally mandated. The President though had earlier said he will not stay in office post-midnight on the 10th, raising the question of a potential constitutional crisis. On Saturday, his office said he hasn't decided yet.
The Supreme Court also struck down a Majlis (parliament) resolution that stated that the Speaker (from ex-President Nasheed's party) would be appointed President if a new one wasn't elected by the 11th. The island nation has seen a lot of political flux with the Supreme Court first annulling the first round held on September 7, then postponing the vote. The police prevented the Election Commission from holding a re-vote on October 19. The first round on September 7 was annulled by the Supreme Court on a petition of the third placed candidate Qasim Ibrahim - a resort tycoon. Four ex-Indian CEC's and over 1000 international observers had found those elections to be free, fair and credible. In the annulled first round held on September 7, ex-President Nasheed was the run-away winner with 45.45 per cent of votes. 88 per cent of the 240,000 eligible voters had cast their ballot. Abdulla Gayoom, the former autocrat Maumoon Gayoom's brother, had 25.35 per cent and resort tycoon Qasim Ibrahim had 24.07 per cent. Current President Mohamed Waheed, who pulled out of the race after the first round, was a distant fourth with 5.13 per cent. Mohamed Nasheed was the country's first democratically elected President in 2008. He resigned in February 2012 in what he describes as a coup at gunpoint.
Claim, counterclaimThe third placed contestant in the 1st round, resort tycoon and the country's richest man, Qasim Ibrahim's petition alleging voter fraud and irregularities had been upheld by the apex court and fresh polls ordered. Mr Nasheed's party alleges the judiciary is favouring the remaining two candidates for various reasons. His MDP alleges a judge, implicated in a series of sex tapes with an alleged escort, was not suspended by a commission which had Qasim Ibrahim on it. He also says much of the judiciary was appointed during the 30 year term of his predecessor, who is the brother of the second placed candidate Mr Gayoom, and owes him allegiance.
One step forward, two steps backMr Gayoom and Mr Qasim have alleged voter fraud but after new guidelines were issued by the apex court for voter registration, both parties refused to endorse the fresh lists for today's rescheduled polls. Mr Nasheed's party says the lists have been approved by the Directorate of National Registry, as his opponents wanted.
The MDP claims the two parties' delaying tactics are because they know they will lose and they want to delay a vote so that a constitutional emergency can be put in place.
A day before the now cancelled fresh polls, ex-President Nasheed had told the media, "The people of the Maldives are hungry for their vote." He had urged his rivals not to hold up the elections. The Election Commission on the eve of today's cancelled polls had then thrown up its arms saying the two anti-Nasheed candidates were not responding to fresh guidelines. The anti-Nasheed parties allege the EC is biased against them.
India and the international communityIndia and the international community have expressed displeasure over the delays. India had warned parties that the will of the people should be respected -something echoed by the UN, the Commonwealth, the US, and EU. Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh who was rushed to Male', issued a statement, after meeting all parties on October 16, saying, "She expressed the hope and expectation that the electoral process would proceed as scheduled with the first round to be held on October 19, and if required, the second round before November 3 so that a new President is sworn in on November 11 as stipulated by the constitution of Maldives." The statement added, "In this regard, she strongly urged all parties to accept the results of elections to enable a smooth transfer of power and reconciliation post elections."
International observers including former Indian Chief Election Commissioners JM Lyngdoh, BB Tandon, N Gopalaswami and Gavai are in the Maldives for the rescheduled polls and had also applauded the first round as observers. In a statement in September they said, "the success in the first round is an achievement which any of the mature democracies would have been proud of. This was a transparent and fair election and there is no reason why the run off should be any less than the first round."