EC schedules first round of presidential election for 19 October

The Elections Commission (EC) has decided to hold the first round of the presidential election on 19 October.

This has been confirmed to Sun Online by Vice President of the EC Ahmed Fayaz Hassan.

This decision by the EC follows last night’s Supreme Court verdict, whereby it annulled the first round of the presidential election held on 7 September, and ordered the EC to hold the first round of the presidential election before 20 October.

Along with the verdict, the court issued several guidelines for the EC for the presidential election.

The court ordered the Elections Commission to confirm that the list provided by the Department of National Registration does not contain names of minors (below 18).

The court ordered the Elections Commission to place a separate ballot box for people registered with the Male’ Municipality Register.

The court ordered the Elections Commission to ensure that the officials at ballot boxes are free from political influence, and to ensure that the officials are accepted by all presidential election candidates.

The court ordered the Elections Commission to take measures to confirm that voters do not carry any items other than pens to the ballot station.

The court ordered the Elections Commission to inform people queuing up to vote their token numbers every thirty minutes.

The court ordered the Elections Commission to cancel the ballot papers printed for the previous election, and to re-print ballot papers equipped with security features.