Elections Were Handled Well by ECM, says Transparency Maldives

In their interim statement regarding the 2023 Presidential Election, Transparency Maldives (TM) commended the overall management of Election Day by Election Commission of Maldives (ECM), while also highlighting certain concerns regarding the electoral environment. 

Real the Interim Report on the first round of voting for the Presidential Election 2023: https://t.co/KtRnUUJ64P#MVElection2023

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— Transparency MV (@TransparencyMV) September 10, 2023

Election Day, according to the report, saw efficient administration under the guidance of the ECM. 

An impressive 85.4% of polling stations opened within the first 10 minutes of the official opening time, with ECM officials present at nearly all polling stations and necessary voting materials readily available. 

Additionally, candidates were adequately represented at all polling locations.

However, TM did express concerns about the secrecy of the ballot in some instances. It was noted that guidelines aimed at preserving the secrecy of the ballot were not consistently followed within polling stations. 

Despite this concern, there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud or issues that could significantly compromise the accuracy of the vote count.

The report further revealed that over 400 observers and volunteers were deployed nationwide to monitor the election, collecting both qualitative and quantitative data from a substantial portion of polling stations. 

The methodology employed allowed for results to be extrapolated to the entire population with a margin of error of +/- 1%. TM also deployed 31 long-term observers across the country since July 2023.

Turning to the campaign environment, TM documented multiple campaign-related incidents and violations. These included vandalism, an attack on a candidate during a campaign rally, and various threats on social media platforms targeting candidates. 

Concerns were raised regarding restrictions on freedom of assembly, particularly the heavy police presence at opposition protests and the arrest and detainment of opposition protestors, especially during the incumbent’s campaign activities.

The report also highlighted the issue of abuse of state resources during the campaign period, where development projects and socio-economic policies appeared to be altered. 

TM stressed the importance of maintaining a clear distinction between official duties and campaign activities to prevent the abuse of state resources.

TM put forth several recommendations, including a call for ECM to address challenges related to ballot secrecy and to continue efforts to bolster public confidence in the electoral process. 

Additionally, they proposed significant changes to the electoral system, such as closing campaign expenditure loopholes, enhancing transparency in campaign finance, establishing clear timeframes for project announcements and key policy changes ahead of elections, and implementing comprehensive rules for electoral dispute resolution.

With no candidate securing the required 50% plus one vote in the first round, the Maldives is heading for a runoff election scheduled for September 30.