The Elections Commission (EC) has confirmed receiving a total of 51 complaints related to Saturday’s presidential election.
Ismail Habeeb, the Vice President of the EC, revealed that the complaints were fairly evenly divided between the national complaints bureau in Male’ and various atoll and city bureaus across the nation.
The myriad complaints ranged from concerns over campaigning and observation protocols to more serious allegations like bribery and voter rights violations. Specifically, the commission received three complaints about campaigning tactics, one about the role of an observer, 10 complaints questioning the right to vote, 11 complaints about the conduct of officials, and 14 complaints centred on the secrecy of the ballot. Additionally, two complaints were filed regarding bribery and another two covered miscellaneous issues.
According to Habeeb, some of the complaints have already been resolved, while others that require detailed investigation are currently under review. “Investigations are underway into complaints that require an investigation,” Habeeb stated.
In Saturday’s election, neither Dr. Mohamed Muizzu of the People’s National Congress (PNC) nor incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) achieved an outright majority, prompting a second-round run-off slated for September 30. Muizzu, who also serves as Male’s Mayor, emerged as the frontrunner with 45% of the vote, while President Solih trailed with 38%.
Despite a high-stakes election, voter turnout reached a historical low of 79%, with more than 230,000 of the eligible electorate casting their ballots.
