UK welcomes steps towards “free, fair” elections, calls for “peaceful transition to post electoral politics”
31 Jul 2013, 10:06 PM
UK Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt has issued a statement welcoming confirmation from the Maldives’ Elections Commission “that the chosen candidates of all political parties will be able to participate in the presidential elections this coming September”.
All four candidates seeking the presidency have been accepted by the commission, and the five day period to contest those candidacies in the Supreme Court expired last week.
The four candidates from top to bottom on the ballot paper are Gasim Ibrahim (Jumhoree Party), Dr Mohamed Waheed (independent, incumbent president), Abdulla Yameen (Progressive Party of the Maldives) and Mohamed Nasheed (Maldivian Democratic Party, former President).
“It is vital for the good of the citizens in this young democracy that both campaigning and elections are judged to be free, fair and peaceful,” said Burt.
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