Polling day cancelled in the Maldives – “Irreparable damage to the state”, says EC
28 Sep 2013, 12:43 PM
Minivan News
The Elections Commission (EC) was last night surrounded by special operations police with orders to take over the building and ballot papers and arrest officials, should it continue preparations for today’s scheduled presidential run-off election.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which had urged its supporters to vote on the day, marched on the Supreme Court and was blocked by police and pepper-sprayed. Many resort workers also indicated they intended to go on “prolonged” strike should the polls be delayed.
The besieged EC finally declared last night that it was unable to hold today’s planned polls due to a lack of cooperation from the government, including from the police, Education Ministry, Finance Ministry and Home Ministry.
The commission also said its members and staff had received death threats and threats of arson attacks on ballot boxes should it go ahead with the election. It issued the following statement:
Become a member
Get full access to our archive and personalise your experience.
Already a member?
Discussion
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!
No comments yet. Be the first to join the conversation!
Join the Conversation
Sign in to share your thoughts under an alias and take part in the discussion. Independent journalism thrives on open, respectful debate — your voice matters.
