Presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim urges public vigilance over vote buying

Gasim told told supporters at a JP rally on Veymandoo in Thaa Atoll that voters would be selling out not only their country, but also their religion, by taking money to vote for a candidate, according to local media.

“Would we want to sell our country and religion just for a few wads of bills?  Would we want to remain under servitude? Would we want to destroy our development and prosperity? No one has the right to sell our nation,” he was quoted as saying by newspaper Haveeru.

The comments were welcomed today by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which said it was encouraging that a leading local business and political figure such as Gasim – who the party accuses of having previously bought votes – was speaking out against the practice.