PPM and JP say they want to check validity of voters

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and Jumhooree Party (JP), that is all parties except for Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), have said that they want to check the validity of the final voters’ list to be used in the presidential election scheduled for Saturday.

Elections Commission (EC) initially opened signing on the voters’ list by presidential candidates’ representatives at 10:00 p.m. last night. This was delayed twice, first to 2:00 a.m., due to problems in finalising the list.

The representatives who attended the commission, after 3:00 a.m., to check the validity of the form and sign it, are representative of MDP’s presidential candidate Hassan Latheef, representatives of JP’s presidential candidate Umar Naseer and Maaz Ahmed Saleem, and representatives of PPM’s presidential candidate Abdulla Ameen and Maleeh Jamal.

Abdulla Ameen said that representatives putting their signatures on the list will not make it valid, and that the list needs to be verified. He said that PPM needs time to verify the list, and that they are prepared to commence efforts in this regard any time.

Umar Naseer told Sun Online on the phone after attending EC, that the list had not been finalised when they arrived at EC.

He said that they are prepared to sign the list provided that it is error-free, but they also need time to verify the list.

“We went to the commission to sign the list at 10:00 p.m., and again at 2:00 a.m., but we have to turn around and go back because the list has not been finalised,” said Umar Naseer.

Hassan Latheef said that MDP is prepared to sign the list any time.