Maldives

Elections Commission Receives Over 50,000 Reregistration Forms The Elections Commission of the Maldives has reported an influx of reregistration forms for the second round of the 2023 Presidential Election. The Vice President of the commission, Ismail Habeeb, disclosed that a total of 50,047 reregistration forms were submitted within the reregistration window, which spanned from 15 September 2023 to 17 September 2023. The forms were submitted through two primary channels; 26,011 forms were submitted online, while 24,036 forms were submitted directly to the commission's offices. Issues with Reregistration Forms Verification The commission has identified a significant issue with the verification of a large number of these forms. According to Habeeb, 11,284 forms, including 5,109 online submissions and 6,175 office submissions, have not been verified due to various problems. Challenges with Online Submissions...

Political Tensions Rise as MRM Battles for Survival The Maldives Reform Movement (MRM), a political party led by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, has recently made accusations against the Elections Commission (EC) for allegedly disrupting its political activities and the nomination process for a presidential candidate. The EC, citing the party’s failure to meet the minimum membership requirement of 3,000, sought to dissolve the MRM. However, the Civil Court granted an injunction to the MRM, thereby halting the dissolution. Alleged Exclusion from Election Meetings MRM Vice President, Aminath Nadhira, has claimed that the EC has deliberately excluded the MRM from meetings related to the forthcoming presidential election. The EC also declined to include the party in the National Advisory Committee, allegedly violating the court's ruling. The MRM has resisted the dissolution, alleging it as politically motivated an...