The Elections Commission (EC) has initiated a formal process for accepting complaints for voter re-registration in the run-off of the Presidential Elections scheduled for 30 September. This move comes in the wake of the release of the voter re-registration list—a list that has been the subject of considerable controversy due to its unusually high numbers.
The EC has been transparent about the process, making public the list of over 47,000 voters who have re-registered for the upcoming election. For those who wish to lodge complaints, the commission has set a deadline until 9:00 pm this Saturday. A specially designated ‘Form to Submit Complaints to the Register of Eligible Voters’ has been made accessible on the EC’s website, as well as at various local council secretariates.
Voters in different geographic areas have distinct channels for submitting their complaints. For residents of Male’, the complaints must be filed at Dharubaaruge, the electoral focal point. For those residing in islands other than Male’, the local councils serve as the venues for lodging grievances. Overseas voters can submit their concerns to their nearest consulate offices or high commissions between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The window for complaints is especially significant given the concerns raised by opposition parties about the spike in re-registrations. Abdul Raheem Abdulla, the interim leader of the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and People’s National Congress (PNC) coalition, has not minced words, accusing the government of an attempt to “steal” the election through inflated re-registration numbers.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), on the other hand, views the high number of re-registrations as a democratic triumph. According to MDP Secretary-General Anas Abdul Sattar, the surge could be due to the notably low voter turnout in the first round, suggesting that the high re-registration is an attempt to rectify this lapse.