Main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on Monday met with the country's electoral watchdog to share complaints over the voters list for the upcoming presidential elections.
MDP vice chairperson Ali Nizar told reporters after the meeting with the Elections Commission, that the party had requested the commission to allow it to submit complaints on behalf of its members. The commission members led by election chief Ahmed Shareef would deliberate the request before making a decision, Nizar revealed.
According to Nizar, the party had again aired concerns over the lack of identity card numbers in the list which he said was making it difficult for people to verify their details.
However, the elections commission has repeatedly rejected the concerns by insisting that the identity card number was personal information which people do not wish to be publicized.
"Even your name and address are personal information. Its not illegal to include identity card numbers on any list. EC also admits that its not illegal. Earlier voters lists also had ID numbers. How can we be sure if a person's name has been repeated without the ID card number? And more importantly how can we know if there is no mistake in the ID card numbers if they are not included," Nizar questioned.
The commission meanwhile had announced that the crunch elections would be held on September 23 while it would open the elections for interested candidates from July 15.
Incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is seeking re-election amid unprecedented political strife in the archipelago.
Former home minister Umar Naseer has also announced his intention to stand for the elections and already launched his campaign as an independent candidate.
The main opposition leaders including former presidents Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed along with Jumhoory Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim and religiously conservative Adhaalath Party (AP) leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla inked pact to form what they called a 'reform alliance'.
With the candidacy of the four leaders - all convicted and serving sentences on questionable charges in serious doubt, the united opposition had announced plans to nominate a single candidate for the upcoming presidential elections.
However, the coalition now seems to have fractured with Nasheed contesting and winning the highly disputed presidential primary held by his party last week.
Elections Commission had said it would not accept the result insisting that Nasheed remains a convicted criminal who is constitutionally ineligible to contest.
Nasheed however, remains hopeful that the government would yield to international pressure and allow him to stand for the elections which now appears to have created massive divisions within his own party.
The commission itself has been dogged by both local and international censure as it fends off allegations of bias against the opposition.
