No changes to Kondey election results despite court-ordered recount

Elections Commission announced on Monday that the results of the vote to elect GA. Kondey Council’s president remains unchanged after the recount of ballots at the orders of High Court.

Elections Commission’s chairman Ahmed Shareef said on Monday that the commission has recounted all three ballot boxes kept at Kondey in response to the High Court’s order.

“After the recount of three GA. Kondey ballot boxes, the results announced by EC remains unchanged,” he said.

The petition over Kondey election results was submitted to High Court by Shuaib Mohamed Didi – an independent of candidate who ran for council president seat.

Results released by Elections Commission place MDP candidate Ahmed Abdul Hakeem as the winner of the president seat with 130 votes. Shuaib lost by just two votes with 128 votes.

Shuaib said the head of the polling station in Kondey acted in contravention of the Local Council Elections Act, and asked the High Court to declare the results of the vote for council president invalid or for the three ballot boxes at Kondey to be recounted.

However, the court ruled that there aren’t sufficient grounds to declare the results invalid and hold a re-election, but sufficient grounds to conduct a recount.

The court case has resulted in delays in the Kondey Council president taking office.