A top opposition lawmaker has asked the parliamentary independent bodies committee to summon the Elections Commission over the numerous concerns and allegations of fraud surrounding the upcoming presidential elections.
North-Maafannu lawmaker Imthiyaz Fahmy in a letter sent to the committee chair said the Elections Commission needed to answer for the concerns and allegations surrounding voter re-registration and its ability to hold a free and fair elections.
The crunch elections slated for September 23 is set to be a two horse race between incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom who is seeking re-election and opposition alliance candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih who has been backed by Yameen's main political rivals including the now jailed former presidents Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed.
Unlike in previous elections, the presidential race would be decided in the first round and is widely seen more as a 'referendum' with a straight choice between the opposition and the government more than an election.
