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At 6:30am ahead of its second press conference for the day, the Elections Commission issued a statement advising that police had moved to prevent the election from taking place.
As we continued with [preparation for] voting, the Maldives Police Services have said no document relating to the election can leave the commissions offices, stopping the election, the statement read.
The Elections Commission has carried out all preparations to hold the first round of the presidential election on 19 October 2013 as per the Supreme Court verdict no 2013/SC-C/42.
When we are informed of the next date for the election, we will announce the election, the ECs statement read.
The police issued an earlier statement at 5:30am stating that they will not support an election held in contravention of the Supreme Court verdict and guidelines.
In a letter addressed to EC President Fuwad Thowfeek, police informed him that when the Supreme Court has ordered state institutions to ensure compliance with [its guidelines], the police will not support an election that contravenes the guidelines delineated in the verdict as such an act contravenes the Supreme Court verdict.
We have assured the Elections Commission that if the Supreme Court issues a ruling stating that elections can proceed even if certain tasks in the Supreme Court verdict 2013/SC-C/42 are not completed, then the Maldives Police Services will abide by such a ruling.
The Elections Commission (EC) at 3:30am this morning declared the election would proceed as planned, despite the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and Jumhoree Party (JP)s refusal to sign the voter lists yesterday.
The PPM and JP failed to [sign the lists]. I believe their failure to do what they should do must not stop the entire system. Just because one person fails to do their duties, refuses to do what they must do, it does not mean everyone else must stop their work, and deprive the Maldivian citizens of their right to vote, Thowfeek stated, at the 3:30am briefing.
Requiring parties to signing off the new voter lists was one of the 16 guidelines imposed on the EC following the Supreme Courts annulment of the September 7 election. Those guidelines also order the EC to hold the first round before October 20.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) accepted and signed the new lists based on the Department of National Registration (DNR)s records as per the Supreme Courts request, noting that the 0.61 percent margin of error was negligible.
The JP and PPM proved uncontactable immediately following the ECs deadline to sign the lists on Friday, but subsequently declared unwillingness to sign without first verifying at least 10 percent of the new fingerprinted forms.
After a meeting between the EC, Home Ministry and the parties ended in a stalemate, the PPM and JP requested the Supreme Court delay the election, while the EC sought clarification from the court.
An early morning meeting between the Supreme Court judges present in the country resulted in a brief statement ordering the Elections Commission to abide by its guidelines.
Following the ECs declaration that elections would be going ahead, the PPM issued a statement declaring the polls unlawful.
LIVE: Minivan News will update this page as the day develops. Refresh this page for the latest.
10:37am: We have previously sent a letter to EC telling them that we will not provide the cooperation we have to if it is working against the SC regulations, explained
10:30am: Chief Superintendent of Police Abdulla Nawaz has told the press that advice was taken from Commonwealth advisor, President Dr Mohamed Waheed, the police executive council, Attorney General Azima Shukoor, and Acting Home Minister Ahmed Shafeeu before deciding to take the decision to halt the election.
09:50am: When asked at this mornings press conference whether the hostile actions of the MPS and political parties were due to remnants of former President Maumoon Gayooms 30-year autocratic rule trying to remain in power, EC Chair Thowfeek was reluctant to answer.
I dont know and [because Im] holding this position, its very difficult to comment on such questions, its better not to, said Thowfeek.
09:25am: Minivan News observed that as of 6:30am Elections Commission a police van with an unknown number of officers was parked directly in front of the EC secretariat, about eight police in blues were stationed in the lobby, while four police officers were inside the 4th floor of the commission.
After the ECs press conference concluded around 7:45, only two police officers remained in the lobby, the police van remained parked in front of the secretariats entrance, and a few special operations police were seen on the corner of Ameenee Magu a main thoroughfare directly south of the commission watching the secretariat.
The mood in the commission was somber and the commission was no longer a hive of activity. EC officials and staff seemed fatigued, conveying their frustration and disappointment to Minivan News that they had been stopped from holding the election today, despite being prepared to do so. However, they did not seem defeated or hopeless. They appeared to still be digesting how events have unfolded.
09:22am: Today the world is like one community, every country is connected to another, so the international concerns will be there if they find that democracy is not working in any country they will be concerned about the status of every country, said EC Chair Fuwad Thowfeek at this mornings press conference.
We are a country very much dependent on tourism and there are tens of thousands of tourists coming from European and Asian countries, so all those countries will be watching and will be monitoring the situation in every country. They will be thinking about the status of the Maldives, he concluded.
09:20am: After everything was done within such a short period and after achieving almost everything, two of the candidates [Yameen and Gasim] refused to sign the voters list. That is the reason police stopped us from conducting this election, so because two candidates did not obey the supreme courts rule, police have penalised the Elections Commission and the people of the country, said EC Chair Fuwad Thowfeek.
I dont know why [they have stopped the elections], I dont think it is their duty to stop what we are doing here. as long as we are trying to do something according to the constitutional rights of the elections commission. They will know better what their intention is.
09:15am: The Elections Commission believes the uncooperative actions of MPs are actually in violation of the Supreme Courts mandate for government institutions to collaborate and cooperate with the EC.
The Supreme Courts decision does not ask the police services to look into the voters list and check what is there in the voters list. The police services have been asked to see to our security and provide protection to the ballot boxes, ballot papers, and the staff of the Elections Commission, said EC Chair Fuwad Thowfeek this morning.
Today and on September 28 it was the police actions that stopped our election. We were forced to stop by them. They are acting beyond their mandate, they have a completely different duty. I think they have crossed the line and they kind of think that they can be our bosses, that we are an institution below them, so they can dictate to us, control us, he continued.
9:10am: The Elections Commission believes that the Maldives Police Service (MPS) is colluding with political parties and/or government institutions to intentionally violate Maldivian constitutional right to vote.
I think they are doing so because now it looks like we can [only] act with their permission if they allow us to do something. The constitutional right that is given [to vote] is not existing anymore, based on what we are experiencing these days, EC Chairperson Fuwad Thowfeek told media earlier today.
Its a pity, we are a very young democracy, [it has been] just five years since we got a multiparty democratic system. We are very much concerned about what is going on in this country at this time, Thowfeek noted.
9:00am: Police confirm they will be holding a press conference at 9:30am in the Iskandar Building on Ameenee Magu, Male.
8:13am: Thunder showers and rough seas are predicted for the remainder of the day in Male, impeding movement in and around the capital.
7:45am: Right now the international community are doing their best, telling the government how much they value a democratic system, said Thowfeek.
7:40am: I do not have any hope that election can be held before November 11 [the end of the presidential term], Thowfeek said. With the second delay, elections have become a plaything.
Thowfeek said that while EC staff were disheartened, This does not sap our determination. It makes it stronger. Resignation is not a choice. God willing, we will continue to serve the Maldivian citizens until the end of our terms.
7:10am: Elections Commissioner Fuwad Thowfeek has said police have surrounded the EC secretariat and stopped any document from leaving the building. As per the Supreme Courts guidelines, police were asked to provide security, not to check whether the voter registry has been signed, Thowfeek stated. We cannot proceed with the election if police are obstructing it.
The Elections Commission has spent MVR 70 million (US$4.53 million) on the presidential election. We have worked 15 hour days throughout the holiday period. We are very disappointed, very much frustrated, he said. Police have overstepped their authority and impinged on the ECs constitutional duties.
Today is a dark day for democracy, added EC member Ali Manik.
7:06am: This is the second time police have blocked the EC from holding the election. When it sought to proceed with the September 28 run-off election, Special Operations police surrounded the EC secretariat with orders from Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz to take over the building and confiscate ballot papers should it proceed.
6:45am: Police are present at the Elections Commission. A second press conference for the morning is now underway.
LIVE: “A dark day for democracy”, election “now a plaything” says Elections Commission*|*Minivan News
As we continued with [preparation for] voting, the Maldives Police Services have said no document relating to the election can leave the commissions offices, stopping the election, the statement read.
The Elections Commission has carried out all preparations to hold the first round of the presidential election on 19 October 2013 as per the Supreme Court verdict no 2013/SC-C/42.
When we are informed of the next date for the election, we will announce the election, the ECs statement read.
The police issued an earlier statement at 5:30am stating that they will not support an election held in contravention of the Supreme Court verdict and guidelines.
In a letter addressed to EC President Fuwad Thowfeek, police informed him that when the Supreme Court has ordered state institutions to ensure compliance with [its guidelines], the police will not support an election that contravenes the guidelines delineated in the verdict as such an act contravenes the Supreme Court verdict.
We have assured the Elections Commission that if the Supreme Court issues a ruling stating that elections can proceed even if certain tasks in the Supreme Court verdict 2013/SC-C/42 are not completed, then the Maldives Police Services will abide by such a ruling.
The Elections Commission (EC) at 3:30am this morning declared the election would proceed as planned, despite the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and Jumhoree Party (JP)s refusal to sign the voter lists yesterday.
The PPM and JP failed to [sign the lists]. I believe their failure to do what they should do must not stop the entire system. Just because one person fails to do their duties, refuses to do what they must do, it does not mean everyone else must stop their work, and deprive the Maldivian citizens of their right to vote, Thowfeek stated, at the 3:30am briefing.
Requiring parties to signing off the new voter lists was one of the 16 guidelines imposed on the EC following the Supreme Courts annulment of the September 7 election. Those guidelines also order the EC to hold the first round before October 20.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) accepted and signed the new lists based on the Department of National Registration (DNR)s records as per the Supreme Courts request, noting that the 0.61 percent margin of error was negligible.
The JP and PPM proved uncontactable immediately following the ECs deadline to sign the lists on Friday, but subsequently declared unwillingness to sign without first verifying at least 10 percent of the new fingerprinted forms.
After a meeting between the EC, Home Ministry and the parties ended in a stalemate, the PPM and JP requested the Supreme Court delay the election, while the EC sought clarification from the court.
An early morning meeting between the Supreme Court judges present in the country resulted in a brief statement ordering the Elections Commission to abide by its guidelines.
Following the ECs declaration that elections would be going ahead, the PPM issued a statement declaring the polls unlawful.
LIVE: Minivan News will update this page as the day develops. Refresh this page for the latest.
10:37am: We have previously sent a letter to EC telling them that we will not provide the cooperation we have to if it is working against the SC regulations, explained
10:30am: Chief Superintendent of Police Abdulla Nawaz has told the press that advice was taken from Commonwealth advisor, President Dr Mohamed Waheed, the police executive council, Attorney General Azima Shukoor, and Acting Home Minister Ahmed Shafeeu before deciding to take the decision to halt the election.
09:50am: When asked at this mornings press conference whether the hostile actions of the MPS and political parties were due to remnants of former President Maumoon Gayooms 30-year autocratic rule trying to remain in power, EC Chair Thowfeek was reluctant to answer.
I dont know and [because Im] holding this position, its very difficult to comment on such questions, its better not to, said Thowfeek.
09:25am: Minivan News observed that as of 6:30am Elections Commission a police van with an unknown number of officers was parked directly in front of the EC secretariat, about eight police in blues were stationed in the lobby, while four police officers were inside the 4th floor of the commission.
After the ECs press conference concluded around 7:45, only two police officers remained in the lobby, the police van remained parked in front of the secretariats entrance, and a few special operations police were seen on the corner of Ameenee Magu a main thoroughfare directly south of the commission watching the secretariat.
The mood in the commission was somber and the commission was no longer a hive of activity. EC officials and staff seemed fatigued, conveying their frustration and disappointment to Minivan News that they had been stopped from holding the election today, despite being prepared to do so. However, they did not seem defeated or hopeless. They appeared to still be digesting how events have unfolded.
09:22am: Today the world is like one community, every country is connected to another, so the international concerns will be there if they find that democracy is not working in any country they will be concerned about the status of every country, said EC Chair Fuwad Thowfeek at this mornings press conference.
We are a country very much dependent on tourism and there are tens of thousands of tourists coming from European and Asian countries, so all those countries will be watching and will be monitoring the situation in every country. They will be thinking about the status of the Maldives, he concluded.
09:20am: After everything was done within such a short period and after achieving almost everything, two of the candidates [Yameen and Gasim] refused to sign the voters list. That is the reason police stopped us from conducting this election, so because two candidates did not obey the supreme courts rule, police have penalised the Elections Commission and the people of the country, said EC Chair Fuwad Thowfeek.
I dont know why [they have stopped the elections], I dont think it is their duty to stop what we are doing here. as long as we are trying to do something according to the constitutional rights of the elections commission. They will know better what their intention is.
09:15am: The Elections Commission believes the uncooperative actions of MPs are actually in violation of the Supreme Courts mandate for government institutions to collaborate and cooperate with the EC.
The Supreme Courts decision does not ask the police services to look into the voters list and check what is there in the voters list. The police services have been asked to see to our security and provide protection to the ballot boxes, ballot papers, and the staff of the Elections Commission, said EC Chair Fuwad Thowfeek this morning.
Today and on September 28 it was the police actions that stopped our election. We were forced to stop by them. They are acting beyond their mandate, they have a completely different duty. I think they have crossed the line and they kind of think that they can be our bosses, that we are an institution below them, so they can dictate to us, control us, he continued.
9:10am: The Elections Commission believes that the Maldives Police Service (MPS) is colluding with political parties and/or government institutions to intentionally violate Maldivian constitutional right to vote.
I think they are doing so because now it looks like we can [only] act with their permission if they allow us to do something. The constitutional right that is given [to vote] is not existing anymore, based on what we are experiencing these days, EC Chairperson Fuwad Thowfeek told media earlier today.
Its a pity, we are a very young democracy, [it has been] just five years since we got a multiparty democratic system. We are very much concerned about what is going on in this country at this time, Thowfeek noted.
9:00am: Police confirm they will be holding a press conference at 9:30am in the Iskandar Building on Ameenee Magu, Male.
8:13am: Thunder showers and rough seas are predicted for the remainder of the day in Male, impeding movement in and around the capital.
7:45am: Right now the international community are doing their best, telling the government how much they value a democratic system, said Thowfeek.
7:40am: I do not have any hope that election can be held before November 11 [the end of the presidential term], Thowfeek said. With the second delay, elections have become a plaything.
Thowfeek said that while EC staff were disheartened, This does not sap our determination. It makes it stronger. Resignation is not a choice. God willing, we will continue to serve the Maldivian citizens until the end of our terms.
7:10am: Elections Commissioner Fuwad Thowfeek has said police have surrounded the EC secretariat and stopped any document from leaving the building. As per the Supreme Courts guidelines, police were asked to provide security, not to check whether the voter registry has been signed, Thowfeek stated. We cannot proceed with the election if police are obstructing it.
The Elections Commission has spent MVR 70 million (US$4.53 million) on the presidential election. We have worked 15 hour days throughout the holiday period. We are very disappointed, very much frustrated, he said. Police have overstepped their authority and impinged on the ECs constitutional duties.
Today is a dark day for democracy, added EC member Ali Manik.
7:06am: This is the second time police have blocked the EC from holding the election. When it sought to proceed with the September 28 run-off election, Special Operations police surrounded the EC secretariat with orders from Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz to take over the building and confiscate ballot papers should it proceed.
6:45am: Police are present at the Elections Commission. A second press conference for the morning is now underway.
LIVE: “A dark day for democracy”, election “now a plaything” says Elections Commission*|*Minivan News
