Maldives Presidential Election Re-scheduled for Nov 9,2013 Monday Oct 21,2013

Maldives officials rescheduled the country’s presidential election for Nov. 9 after police prevented the scheduled vote this past weekend due to a conflict with a Supreme Court ruling.

While the new schedule may break through a political stalemate and reassure this troubled young democracy, it may not produce a new president before the incumbent’s term ends, creating a constitutional vacuum.

If no candidate wins 50 per cent of the Nov. 9 vote, a runoff would be held on Nov. 16, according to the schedule Vice Elections Commissioner Ahmed Fayaz announced to reporters on Monday Oct 21,2013

Note
The Maldives constitution requires a president to be elected by Nov. 11,2013 when sitting President Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s term ends
The Supreme Court had annulled results of a Sept. 7 election, finding that the voters’ registry had phony names and those of dead people.
The Re-vote had been set for Saturday Oct 19,2013, but police stopped it because the Elections Commission failed to obtain approval for the voting registry from all the candidates as required by the high court
Former President Mohamed Nasheed, who led the annulled election with more than 45% of the vote, has accused Hassan of scheming to delay the election until his term ends and continue to hold power.
Mohamed Nasheed’s rivals at the election would be Yaamin Abdul Gayoom, a brother of Maldives’ longtime autocratic ruler Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and tourist resort owner Qasim Ibrahim

The Maldivian presidential election of 2013 will be the 10th Presidential Election to be held in the Maldives and the 2nd ever Multi-Party Elections in the country.

The first round will take place on Saturday, Sep 7, 2013, with the run-off scheduled for Sep 28,2013.The run-off will take place only if no candidates acquire more than 50% of the total ballots polled on the first round.

Presidential Candidates

There are 4 candidates participating in this election.They are -

• Qasim Ibrahim(Jumhoree(Republican)Party)  
• Mohamed Waheed Hassan(Independent)
• Abdulla Yameen(Progressive Party of Maldives)
• Mohamed Nasheed(Madivian Democratic Party)

Incumbent President Mohammed Waheed is contesting as an independent candidate but backed by the National Unity Party and the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party

Qasim Ibrahim is the candidate of the Jumhooree Party (JP) and is supported by the Adhaalath Party (AP) and the Dhivehi Qaumee Party

Leader of the Progressive Party (PPM)of Maldives, former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom declared that he would not participate in any further election on 25 February.PPM held it's presidential primary election on 30 March. The candidacy was won by the party's parliamentary group leader, and half-brother of Gayyoom,Abdulla Yameen with a 63 % majority, beating rival candidate Umar Naseer.

Maldivians lined up in large numbers even before the scheduled opening of polling booths at 7.30 a.m. to elect a new President in their second multi-party elections

A majority of the 239,593 voters are expected to exercise their franchise votes in the 470 polling stations in the 192 inhabited island, 41 resorts and six overseas cities.

The ballot boxes in international destinations are in Colombo (two booths, one for 2096 voters, and another for 1078), Kuala Lumpur (1085 voters), Thiruvananthapuram (857 voters), New Delhi (125 voters), Singapore (144 voters) and London (223 voters)

A high-level Indian delegation consisting of former chief election commissioners J.M. Lyngdoh, B.B. Tandon, N. Gopalaswami and former High Commissioner of India to Maldives S.M. Gavai are in Maldives for the polls.

Mohamed Nasheed Wins First Round of Maldivian Presidential Election Sunday Sep 8,2013

Former President Mohammed Nasheed has emerged as a clear leader in the first round of the Maldives’ presidential election receiving 45 % votes but fell short of an outright majority resulting in another round of run-off between top two candidates scheduled on Sep 28,2013

Under the country’s election laws, if none of the candidates get more than 50 per cent of the vote, a run-off will take place between the top two candidates.
The Election Commission announced results early Sunday Sep 8,2013 -
Over 88 % votes were cast during the elections.
Mohamed Nasheed getting 45% votes polling 95224 votes
Abdullah Yameen getting 25.35% of votes polling 53099 votes
Gasim Ibrahim getting 24.07 % votes polling 50422 votes and
Incumbent Waheed Hassan getting 5.13% votes polling 10750 votes

Maldives SC Annuls First Round Results

The Maldives Supreme Court, in a midnight ruling, has annulled the results of the first round elections of September 7, in which Maldivian Democratic Party candidate, Mohamed Nasheed, stood first with over 45.45 per cent of the popular vote, and the Progressive Party of Maldives candidate Abdulla Yaameen was placed a distant second.

“A re-run of the first round of polls must be held on October 20, 2013 the SC has ordered,” 

The verdict was based on a case filed by Qasim Ibrahim, a resort tycoon, who had been eliminated in the first round of polls who had contended that the first round was not free and fair

All Observers during the polls, including local NGO Transparency Maldives, the Indian Election Observer’s team lead by the former CEC, J.M.Lyngdoh, the Commonwealth observers team, the European Union team, and a team from the United States had praised the conduct of polls