Maldives Elections Commission admits Thimarafushi ballot box results sheet illegal
Elections Commissioner - Mohamed IbrahimMaldives Elections Commission today admitted in High Court that the elections results sheet of the Thimarafushi ballot box was not in accordance with the Elections Regulation. A court hearing was held today for judges to obtain clarifications of issues in the ongoing High Court case of the Thimarafushi parliamentary vote. Today’s hearing, called for by the High Court, dealt with only matters relating to statements by the Elections Commission.
High Court Judge Ali Hameed specifically questioned the Elections Commission on irregularities in signatures on the elections results sheet, irregularities in the handover process of the ballot box to Elections Commission officials and on the issue of 115 ballot papers that were missing from the box. On all three issues, the Elections Commission admitted that violations of the regulations had occured.
On the first issue, the Elections Commission admitted that the elections results sheet was in contravention of the Elections Regulation, as it only contained signatures of only two officials. According to the regulations, it must be signed by three officials.
On the second issue too, the Commission admitted that the ballot box had not been sealed when it was handed over to Elections Commission officials in charge of delivering it to the Commission. The law and regulations requires that the ballot box must be sealed in the presence of officials and observers at the ballot counting station after ballot counting had finishes. Today, the Commission admitted that a) the box had been open when it was handed over its officials for transport, b) it had not been at the ballot counting station but at the Thimarafushi Island Office; and 3) that when its transport officials went to collect it, only one individual had been with the open ballot box.
When questioned by the court judge as to whether these were against the law, Deputy Elections Commissioner Hussain Siraj replied that the regulations did not state that more than one individual should look after the ballot box. However, when questioned further, Siraj was forced to concede that indeed the issues raised by the court were indeed against the law.
Upon close questioning, Hussain Siraj was also forced to admit that the 155 ballot papers missing from the ballot box had disappeared before the ballot box had reached the Commission. Hussain Siraj is one of the lead lawyers of President Mohamed Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party. Siraj has represented the MDP in several court cases. He was recently appointed to the Elections Commission, in place of Commissioner Shahid. Commissioner Shahid, a top official in the MDP, resigned recently saying that his wife, President Nasheed’s cousin Eva Abdulla, was contesting the parliamentary elections as an MDP candidate.
The court questioned whether the Elections Commission had made any effort to find out what had happened to the 115 ballots that were missing. The Commission lawyer replied that the Maldives Police Service was investigating the matter and that the investigation had not yet finished. Previously, Commisioner Siraj had testified in the High Court that the missing ballots would not change the elections results. However, another Commissioner, Mahir, had given a statement to press that since the ballots were missing it was clear that there needed to be a fresh vote in Thimarafushi. A third Commissioner, Fuad Thowfeeq, had given a statement to press that the missing ballots were empty ballots but could not clarify how the Commission knew this. Fuad Thowfeeq too is a leading MDP member who previously headed a MDP technical committee.
In the provisional results announced by the Commission for Thimarafushi, the MDP candidate Thimarafushi Musthafa lead DRP candidate Ghassan Maumoon by about 100 votes. Submitting evidence such as above, Ghassan Maumoon has requested the High Court to declare the Thimarafushi result invalid and to order the Elections Commission to hold a fresh vote in his constituency. Witnesses who testified in favor of Ghassan Maumoon have been victimized with arson attacks and personal attacks. One witnesses house was burned down immediately after she gave testimony in Ghassam Maumoon’s favour. The MDP candidate Thimarafushi Musthafa is the well known gang lord and loan shark who ran the notorious Mercury Light Café the hideout of MDP thugs in Male’.
June 2, 2009 11:42 AM
Actually Elections Commision head Mohamed Ibrahim is closely related to Iboo Solih, BM Ganjabo's cousin by marriage. he is also BM's stooge.
June 2, 2009 12:16 PM
Sea food Musthafa is always famous as a cruel person in Maldives. We all know that there will be nothing that he wont do for his success.
Talking about Siraj, why didn't he resign as vice president of Election and be as a lawyer of MDP only. Because he is doing everything to defend MDP but doing nothing as a vice president. He did what ever he can do to cover up MDP's crimes. Well! he is trying his best. Shame on him.
June 2, 2009 12:40 PM
janga crowduge emmen oriyaan vanee... anekaa oriyaan haadha hadiey. mohamed ibrahim kaleaves saabahey. cheedi.
June 2, 2009 12:57 PM
Seafood Musthafa is a child abuser. He beats his kid black and blue. Ask family members or his kid. They will surely tell you this bastard is a child beater.
Bastard does not deserve a parliament seat. Don't much care for Maumoons kid either, but this inhuman bastard is corrupt to the core and a coward who beats his kid.
June 2, 2009 12:59 PM
No discounting any single one, the so called independent commissions in this Country have failed miserably. NGO's need to study this issue very closely & urgently, and start raising their voices in the media with answers as to why the falures have ocured and how these failures can be rectified.
June 2, 2009 1:03 PM
I read on inet that the Tories have been sending their expertise to the assist MDP to design and manage their election strategies about a year ahead of the Presidential Election 2008. They also continued their efforts in the Maldives side by side with MDP to win the Parliamentary Elections 2009. Is this the type of strategy they taught and managed for the MDP?
June 2, 2009 1:13 PM
Dear Anon @ 1:03.
Have you read the book "DHAGADU DHAHANA" by Ganjabo (aka Kenereege' Mohamed Nasheed)? It is about how English colonialism was imported to the Maldives. The title (Dhagandu Dhahana) is orginally by Naibu Thuththu. This aresehole Ganjabo re-wrote Naibu THuththu's text claiming it is his (who is this fuck trying to deceive?). What I am trying to say is that even at the time Ganjabo (aka Mohamed Nasheed) and his accomplices had the intention re-importing English colonialism to Maldives. That would be somewhere in the early 90's I think (Bastard!). By the way, Dhagadu Dhahana means "iron armour" and Naibu Thuththu's book is about resistence. The S.O.B who brought English Colonialists to this beloved Nation is Minister Ameen Faisal's f*****g great-grandfather.
June 2, 2009 1:21 PM
Dear Readers. You have a good point to ponder: The involvement of foreign influence by MDP in our (Maldives') internal politics. I wonder if the grass-root Maldivian ever gave this issue a thought or realise the implications!
June 2, 2009 2:42 PM
what big talk. mohamed ibrahim, iboo solih's relative should resign from EC immediately. what kind of chairperson admits that his commission accepted fraud and still remain as chair? go get some sense into him raajenews team. get him out of that seat before sunset. this is the same situation as police commissioner faseeh brought the media into. he admitted that his police force cannot provide security to the public and remianed flatly and fatly as police commissioner. didnt the tories tell mdp once people admitted to these incapabilities they should run for their lives?
June 2, 2009 2:48 PM
hey poolog where r u today. can u find transparencyaimon for us. and yes, pls get human rights comm saleem also on the scene. they need to be brought to charges of incompetence. what seafood musthafa, that's his uk name, his real name is huifi landaa mus-thafa! we all know that ghassan maumoon won the election.
poolog's friend
June 2, 2009 3:20 PM
Well! in this case, I salute Gassan Maumoon. Because he stepped forward without a fear. We all know how danger these MDP people are. But he went court. If my information is not wrong, I hear he took the first case to the court regarding the election. Well Done! Gassan! We really need people like you to stand up and fight them. If you didn't go to court, today Sea food Musthafa will in the that chair even after cheating on people's votes.
June 2, 2009 3:37 PM
M Ibrahim has been a most unproductive and weak bum in all his days in service. A "yes' man to his superiors and staff, alike. This was his qualification for the top job in the EC, as far as Qayoom & DRP were concerned. E meehaku feyssi iloshigandeh e meehegge lolah hereyne. This time it went right through Qayoom's eye (Gassan Maumoon became the first victim). One cannot blame Huifilada (or whatever Musthafa) for what happened. And as for Gassan Maumoon.. Yes, I agree. This young feller's got balls! He went for it without DRP. He is fighting without DRP. May Allah bless you my boy!
June 2, 2009 3:42 PM
DRP is no more. It has lost it's sheen. It's being kept together by MAG. The moment he fades away, DRP will disintegrate like a cloud in a storm. The grassroot-DRP should start thinking of a less selfish people to manage their party.
June 2, 2009 3:44 PM
heh heh heh
June 2, 2009 3:46 PM
Watch your back, Mr. Maumoon Abdul Qayyoom!
kehkehkehkeh
June 2, 2009 3:53 PM
Dear anonymous 3:42
Yes,I agree with you and this is a fact that DRP people have to face now.
June 2, 2009 7:00 PM
MDP is just a transitional government. They haven't done this Country any good in the 7 months they have been in power. They still haven't grown out of their role as puppets of the British Tories, The Sri Lankan UNP-JVP & the Indian BJP in the Maldives. By themselves, they dont have the experience to govern this Country. Look at what's become of our economy in the last 7 months. This Country is on the brink of starvation. All MDP have been concentrating on, is consolidating their power with a focus on the next 5 year term. However, I agree with anonymous 3:42 & 3:53 on their opinion that neither DRP have shown us a leadership in which we Maldivians can trust.
June 2, 2009 7:03 PM
@Anonymous 7:00PM
Very well said. I totally agree with you.
June 2, 2009 7:16 PM
drp's name must change to MKP (mina kuday party)& mdp to kp (kerefa party).
June 2, 2009 7:25 PM
O! the people who came out to asasinate H.E Nasir in the 60's went through a laundry process?
heh heh
June 2, 2009 7:36 PM
Maldivian political parties are turning out to be total failures... specially MDP, they brought a change for sure... a very bad change.
June 2, 2009 8:24 PM
@ everyone,
No use crying over spilt milk! Wasn't it you people with no jobs but enough money to go out for coffee and riding shiny new mobikes who ran around saying "alhe alhe dhen, aharen beynumee badhaleh" without giving a thought to who was ultimately responsible for giving you the economic freedom to whittle away your parents' hard-earned money. Well, you've got your change, so lap it up. Spoilt selfish brats each and every one of you koffeistas. The joke is on you. Do us all a favour and grow up!
June 2, 2009 8:33 PM
Dear RajjeNews,
Correction: actually the law on elections clearly states that no less than 3 people must be with the box at all times. Siraj would have been aware of this, but must have chosen to save MDP at whatever cost rather than be faithful to his oath to Almighty Allah.
June 2, 2009 8:52 PM
Mohamed Ibrahim, Siraj and Fuwad: RESIGN, RESIGN, RESIGN.
June 2, 2009 10:14 PM
Mi siraj n fuwad r trying their best to maintain the 'change' u voted for. they hav failed miserable just as the change u guys voted for failed disastrously. o yes the laundered crimminals hav come to power along with the ganduvaru therey beyfulhun. by he way, where is mujuthaba musthafa brothers who came out with clenched fists to change the govt.
June 2, 2009 10:33 PM
emme fahun mi raajeyga huri ganduvarakee "riyaasee ganduvaru, theemuge". e geyga ulhunu beyfulhun vanee beys huskuri fulhinnah badhaluvefa. mihaaru ulhenee ethan mithaaga. hendijjehen heevey tha?
June 3, 2009 8:33 AM
anon@10.33
did you forget about the famous haleems, thuthu gomas, nooradheens etc. recall your brains. kobaa ekkala karankaa family. hurihaa goathi thakeh kaifa dhen ethibenee uk ga aa singapore ga bin ganegen. e 'beys hus kuri fulhi' thakuge vaahaka mi dhakkanee. adhi ekkalaulsattar moosa didi, kon didi eh kameh neyge milanee. mi meehunge hiyyvarun anni nasheed verikamah aee,
June 3, 2009 9:37 AM
moya nugovaa. rais nasheedhu verikama genaee divehi rayithunge 54 insaththa vote dheegen. dhen buney vote hoadhee makaru hadhaigennay. saabas kaleymenah.
June 3, 2009 2:41 PM
vote hoadhee makaru hadhaigen
June 3, 2009 2:49 PM
moya nugovaa. Anni verikamah genaee Universal ge million thah bahaalaigen. Eyne ai gothah ais ebunee resort mahujanun dhaulathuge khazaanaa ah dheynjehey faisaa nudhinas hevey. Mee heyo viyafaari akee! Haqeeqaiy hajamu nukurevenyaa dhen lalalaa.
June 3, 2009 4:15 PM
emme rangalhu. ma mihaaru ec comm in vaki kuriyas araamuga umurah ulheveyne aasiyaa govaigen. iboo solihu evarah faisaa dhiney sikka athun nagaafa. ehennu vaanee. e ee magey ves aailaa viyya. siraj menah bondi libunee
mdp ah ikhlaastheri,
mohamed ibrahim - hinnavaru
June 3, 2009 5:10 PM
dhogeh vaa noon. Raees BM 800 million rufiyaa resort viyafaariveringe dharanin kandaalee eyna hovan emeehun massakkaiy koh dhinee thee akamuge inaamakah. adhives aga than minah hulhuvaafa maumoonu dheefa oiy 2.5 million rufiyaage loanuge vaahaka dhekkumuge kon haggeh MDP ge sarukaarah miothee??
June 3, 2009 8:18 PM
Thedhu vaahaka eh. Kobaa aharemenge 800 million rufiyaa??? Ey KOLI baga aa, geny e faisaa1 Mulhi dhivehi raajje in faisaa madhuvefa huri iruves kaleymen araamuga ulhenvee dho? Maakunbe akah nukereyne Koli aaila aa beheykah!1
June 3, 2009 9:57 PM
Don't waster your breath. No matter who is in power, they remain in power only so long as the rich businessmen are kept happy. There is absolutely no way you can get anyone to investigate the rich in Maldives, not to mention how they keep on getting richer while our people are being deprived of everything under this government!
June 3, 2009 11:53 PM
Too bad the so called Anti Corruption Board is not investigating the reason behind the pardoning of toursim sector over due taxes. Do you think tourism business men kept all that money. No way, some of it went to BM Ganjabo's pocket, some to Ibrahim Hussain Zaki (key negotiator of the deal with Koli Umaru Maniku and Koli Ahammadhey), some to KErafa Naseem, Some to DIK Ali, rest To Ziyaattey. As someone said, grow up you people. no one pardns millions on a whim. they are paid handsomely for these pardons, you dimwits.
June 4, 2009 7:06 PM
I agree totally. The Anni Corruption Board won't investigate the tourism billionaires. After all, what's in it for them? No more free stays at the best resorts in the country, that's what. Anyway, it was us Maldivians who apparently "elected" Anni, so more power to him I say. Fleece us for all you're worth, my man, and then some!
June 4, 2009 9:11 PM
Kekeke
Now we know the truth. MI and Siraj have been MDP plants all along. As Anon @ 7.06 said, the Anni Corruption Commission will never investigate someone being protected by the highest in the land. They are untouchable, as is anyone associated with Anni. Now we know how a dictatorship operates, hey?