The controversy-ridden presidential revote in the Maldives tomorrow could be scrapped at the last minute as two of the three candidates are yet to endorse the voting register, the Elections Commission warned today.
Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate Abdulla Yameen and Jumhooree Party's Gasim Ibrahim have demanded fingerprint verification of the finalised voter roll, with police refusing to support the poll without the candidates' signatures.
After submitting letters with their demand to the Elections Commission at midnight, both the party's leaders have been unreachable, Minivan News reported.
Amidst the impasse, Maldivian Democratic Party leader Mohamed Nasheed, the country's first freely elected president, appealed to his challengers not to "hide" from the polls, saying, "Maldivians are hungry for a vote."
The Elections Commission said a revote can be held as scheduled only if presidential candidates sign the voters roll by 7.30 am on voting day.
"Without their signatures, the Maldives Police Service is not willing to support us. They will not give protection to conduct the election and if we hold polls it will be invalidated by the Supreme Court," said Elections Commission chairman Fuwad Thowfeek.
"We are trying our best to have the election as per the verdict of the Supreme Court," said poll panel Vice Chairman Ahmed Fayaz. "But with all the hard work of the last 11 days, now the process has almost been halted."
The Supreme Court had annulled results of the first round of polling on September 7 and ordered fresh polls after hearing a petition on alleged electoral fraud filed by third placed candidate Gasim Ibrahim.
The Elections Commission has been trying to obtain signatures and fingerprints of candidates or their representatives since 4 am today, its Secretary General Asim Abdul Sattar told reporters.
The Commission has called, texted and sent officials to individual's houses and to the homes of Jumhooree Party representatives Umar Naseer and Hassan Shah and PPM leader Ahmed Ilham, but has received no answer.
Sattar said only former President Nasheed has approved the voter list. Incumbent President Mohamed Waheed quit the re-election bid after getting just over five per cent of the popular vote and promised to ensure a smooth transition of power.
The PPM said the party would not sign the voters roll until it was confident that the list is free of any errors.
"We will not sign a bundle of papers held out to us by the Elections Commission without having seen for ourselves what exactly is in them," PPM deputy leader and MP Abdulla Abdul Raheem said, putting a question mark over the polls.
