The Chairman of the Elections Commission (EC), Fuwad Thowfeek, has warned that action will be taken against candidates who contested the parliamentary elections but failed to submit their financial disclosures as required by law. The parliamentary elections, which took place in April, saw 368 candidates vying for 93 seats.
Under the law, all candidates are mandated to file their financial disclosures to the EC. Despite the passing of the submission deadline, a significant number of candidates have failed to provide their financial records, according to the EC. In response, Thowfeek warned that the EC would take punitive measures against such candidates per the law.
The warning was conveyed through a social media post in direct response to a statement made by the Minister of Cities, Local Government, and Public Works, Adam Shareef Umar. Umar expressed apprehension regarding the challenges of legal action against candidates who failed to meet the financial disclosure deadline.
The deadline for candidates to file their financial disclosures lapsed on 22 May, and as per the EC, 48 candidates have not fulfilled this requirement. However, EC member Hassan Zakariya revealed to local media that some candidates submitted their financial disclosures after the deadline had expired.
According to the law, candidates who fail to submit their financial disclosures within the stipulated deadline, or provide falsified information in their financial disclosures, could face serious consequences. Violations carry a penalty of either one year of imprisonment or a fine of MVR 72,000.