Right to vote of individuals not included in electoral register will be decided by the court: Elections Commission

Elections Commission has said that right to vote of an individual who’s name is not on the electoral register, will be determine by the court.

Speaking at a press conference tonight, commission vice president Ahmed Fayaz Hassan said that an individual will not be able to vote unless his name is included in the electoral register and that any individual who's name is not included in the register will have the right to contest the matter in court.

“For example, if a person files a complaint with us that his name is not on the list, we will reply that we cannot include his name. If the person wants to take the grievance further, he can file the matter in High Court. The High Court can rule, even tomorrow, [and order the Commission] to facilitate for all such an individuals to vote. If they issue such a ruling, we have to arrange for every such individual to vote on Saturday,” Fayaz said.

Referring to a recent Supreme Court order directing the Commission to ensure that the election is free and fair, Fayaz said that certain parties have been taking the ruling as an opportunity to deceive the public.

He said that the Commission had completed all required legal procedures before publishing the final electoral register on the government gazette and that the only way to for an individual, who’s name is not included in the register to be allowed to vote, is for the court to issue an order.

He said that the Commission had received complaints that certain parties had fraudulently registered individuals during the re-registration period. He said that such complaints will be investigated and that they will take legal action as necessary.

Commission member Ali Manik told the press tonight that they have received 275 complaints regarding this registration, of which 258 have now been investigated and 35 complaints regarding other aspects of the election, of which, 29 have been investigated.