Thursday 27 January 2005

DO Readers' Comment
Gayoom feared for Maldives as sea wall disappeared
He did not go to work, but he ordered his entire fleet of luxury yachts that are moored along side the water break to be moved out into sea. In fact he was preparing his entire family and friends to flee. He was telling his wife to get ready and we all are going to leave and be prepared. read more

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Congratulation to All Reformists

On behalf of our readers, we congratulates all the members it supported and endorsed, which included the full list of MDP endorsed candidates.

These results are just a sign of what is to come. Despite very difficult circumstances, we have a made a great impact on the political sphere of Maldives.

We call on all elected members to uphold the constitution of the country, first and foremost, for that is your ultimate responsibility.

 Letter to the Editor

No way were these elections free and fair
Thanks for your insight into the Maldives politics. I have learnt so much about the country in the last few days from your site.  I was in the Maldives during the elections. The atmosphere was electric. A real natural high (I confess I am a freedom junkie), even though there still seems a long way to go. read more

Wednesday - 26 January 2005 (Vote Rigging Day 4)

Maldives Election; Vote Rigging @ its Best

Election Results Final
Gayyoom wins anyway!

	MDP	Gayyoom	Indep
Election	19	14	9
Appointments	-	8	-
Total	19	22	9

MDP - endorsed by Maldivian Democracy Party and Dhivehi Observer
Gayyoom - His Brothers, relatives, cabinet ministers and hardcore supporters
Indep -  Independent with no known link to MDP or Gayyoom
Provisional results when when confirmed will be added to the Final.

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Review
Gayyoom Man of No Change
Gayoom cannot give even one example of change in 26 years. He said that he believes he is a man of change himself, in an interview with AFP Colombo Bureau chief Amal Jayasinha yesterday.
Gayoom came to power in 1978. In his first year in office on Sunday, 31 December, the parliament passed amending the constitution. This was followed in nearly two years on 29 November 1980 by gathering the special assembly, the special machinery for constitutional amendments as provided in the constitution. The process gave him over three terms before the new constitution was ratified and put into force in 1997 on Thursday, 27 November. read more

Editorial
Gayyoom looses popular support
For the first time in the history of the Maldives, a President looses popular support of the public whilst in power.
According to the results of the election, the largest populations centres such as Male’ – the capital and Addu Atoll are now firmly secured by opposition candidates who were endorsed by the Maldivian Democratic Party, which is banned by Gayyoom. read more

  Official Results (Final)
MDP - endorsed by Maldivian Democracy Party

* in the table above we have added Male' and Addu seats as MDP candidates have a huge margin of victory in these places.

Tuesday - 25 January 2005 (Day 3 Vote Rigging)

BBC News
Maldives democracy plans welcomed
Opposition leaders in the Maldives have welcomed plans by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom to establish multi-party democracy within a year.
They said they were happy the president had committed to a reform timetable.
"Now we can remind him from time to time about his promise," a Maldivian Democratic Party spokesman said.
Mr Gayoom's remarks follow elections to parliament in which opposition-backed candidates have won about 10 of 22 seats provisionally announced. read more

Election Results  (Provisional)

Lastest : Addu Atoll won by the largest majority by 2 reformists, Aslam and Shareef.

Dhaalu Atoll - Sun Travel Shiyam and ADK Nashid wins

Lastest : Faafu Atoll

Election News

Yameen was elected by Gayyoom not the people of Noonu Atoll, Commissioner Rashad wants to resign

Male' - Sources close to Dictator have confirmed that Noonu Atoll votes were changed by Gayyoom to increase the popularity of Kaaminee Dynasty. Votes were counted by mid day yesterday and Yameen was 4th with no chance of making it to the top 2 to secure the seat after the final count as the turn out was high. However, it was 'cooked' by Gayyoom. As a consequence, Election Commissioner offered to resign because public is increasing accusing him of being the protector of the worst dictator the country has ever seen. It is now time for Mr. Rashad to make it clear to the public, whether he is with the people and honouring his constitutional obligations.

The clearest proof of vote 'cooking' is the extensive delay in making the result public. In addition to that, the fact that people like Samarey knew their position much earlier. There is also speculation that Hiyalee has told his friends that as long as Gayyoom is in power and Yameen by his side, Hiyalee with never loose the Addu seat. Hiyalee has instructed his supporters to prepare a celebration feast for 2000 people and to hire all the vehicles in Addu for a mass support rally for him.

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Election Results

00:12 am - RESULT of ARI ATOLL NORTH - Ahmed Zubair (1406) and  Hussein Mohamed (1258)
 

Monday - 24 January 2005

Election Result
11:38 pm - RESULT OF NOONU ATOLL - Yameen Gayyoom aka Raagodi R and Ali Mohamed have won.

Election Result
11:38 pm - RESULT OF LAAMU ATOLL - Ilyas Ibrahim and Reeko Moosa have won.

Local News

Noorul Quran Fauzee beaten up and arrested

Male': POLICE ARREST: Reports from Male' have stated that Noorul Guran Fauzi (friend of Sheikh Fareed) has been beaten up and arrested in Male'. Family members said that police smashed his door down, beat him up in front of his wife and children and arrested him - Minivan News.
 

BBC Asia Today

BBC Asia Today Program will be covering the election issues in Maldives at 2:30 GMT - Male time 7:30 pm.

DO Editor in Chief, Ahmed Moosa has been invited to participate in the program.

Election Result
11:38 pm - RESULT OF RAA ATOLL - Ali Waheed and Ibrahim Shaheed has secured the seats as per the provisional results for Raa Atoll.

AFP News
Maldives to have multi-party democracy in a year: president
MALE (AFP) - The Maldives will accelerate sweeping political reforms and hopes to become a multi-party democracy within a year, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has told AFP in an interview. read more

Election Result
15:10 pm - RESULT OF SHAVIYANI - Mohamed Hussain (State Min. Presidential Affairs) and Ibrahim Waheed (Fashion Woodworks) wins the seats by huge majority. Mohamed Hussain is obviously a seat of his Master, Gayyoom. Waheed is expected to be a moderate independent reformer.

Election News
01:20 pm - Sources from the vote counting centre has reported that Noonu Atoll vote has been counted but Yameen in in 3rd spot and hence the delay. Many believe that Gayyoom cannot face this much humliation.

Election Result
11:56 am - RESULT OF LHAVIYANI - Ahmed Mohamed and Ibrahim Mohamed Soleh wins as per provisional results.

Election Result
11:32 am - RESULT OF HAA ALIF - Minister Samarubuloo and Jausha Jaufar elected as per provisional results.
 

Election Review & Analyses

Vote Counting Rate  = 3.61 min per vote = 7.32 min per ballot paper per person
 

There has always been concern over the administrative shortcoming in Gayyoom's government. In this day in age, with no short fall of computer literate public, there is really no justification for this awful mismanagement. Ideally, results should have been announced by Midnight on polling day. If large countries with millions of voters can do it why cant we do it? So, there is no room for argument nor can their be any excuses. However, here are few points that proves the practical side of how we in the Maldives can announce provisional results by mid-night or early morning hours of the day after the polling day.

1. Counting must be done in each island - in front of representatives of the candidates, judge of the island and say 2 oldest people on the island - the result sheet will have to be endorsed by all parties and initialised before announced. It should also be sent by fax to all media.

2. Atoll Office will collect (Capital Island) individual island results and announce as soon as possible and results faxed and announced

3. Male can collect the results from the Atoll and announce the total with its own count

4. Postal ballots or ballots from islands reports and industrial locations can be brought to Male' after being counted and announced, which will again be counted in Male before adding to the provisional results.

It is as easy as 1,2,3 ... it is easy dho?

WARNING : This method or procedure is not recommended for Dictators.

Election Result
10:42 am - RESULT OF HAA DHAAL - Minister Ahmed Abdulla and Abdul Shukoor, Stelco MD, won the seats as per provisional results.
 

10:30 am - Samaru Buloo Ibrahim Manik is reportedly calling people in Haa Alif Atoll and thanking them for electing him. Provisional result is however not yet made public. Reported by people from the Atoll.

Election News

Turn out in Male was low despite enthusiasm

Male' - DO has conducted a survey in Male' which have indicated some of the key reasons why the turn out in Male', the capital was so low, 39% (provisionally), this time despite earlier indications of a high turn out. Mainly, the polling administration and date was set to ensure the lowest possible turn out by Gayyoom to increase the chance of electing his candidates. The survey revealed that:

(a) The date was set to coincide with Eid holidays during which many residents of Male', estimated to be 8000 or more on average, go on holiday to islands or even abroad. It is safe to assume that 50% of this number will be eligible voters

(b) People did not know where to vote - locations of the polling stations were not know until the day before the polling day

(c) People in Hulhumale' and Vilingilli has huge logistical difficulties as some had to travel to Male' to vote. Especially those who are renting or have recently moved to these places

(e) The elderly are still scared to vote for anti-government candidates so they became the silent mass by abstaining

(f) No arrangements were made in countries like Colombo and India where large numbers of Maldivians reside or visit regularly to make them also participate in the elections. It is estimated that over 4000 Maldivians live in Colombo alone, a great majority of whom are Male' residents

(g) Registering to vote from different locations discouraged people from voting because even some Male' candidates who were campaigning in Atolls and also working on tsunami relief projects, or holidaying in nearby resorts were not allowed to vote

(h) Tsunami disaster made some people less enthusiastic about elections and politics in general although it is believed that this number would not run into thousands

Sunday - 23 January 2005

Maldives Election; Vote Rigging @ its Best

Minivan News
MDP co-founder admitted in hospital following hit-and-run accident
MDP co-founder and Spokesperson Mr.Mohamed Latheef has been admitted in a hospital in Colombo following a dangerous hit-and-run accident. The driver had hit the side of the car Mr.Latheef was sitting in, according to eye-witness reports. Mr.Latheef suffered minor injuries to his hand, and was lucky to have escaped alive, family members said. The Maldivian Democratic Party confirmed that Mr.Latheef was being treated at a hospital in Colombo saying his life was not in danger, but refused further comment.

Election News

Vaavu Atoll Provision Results - Ismail Shihab secures a winning margin

Ismail Shihab has secured 1st place in V. Atoll with 520 votes, 67 votes more than 2nd place Abdulla Shahid, Private Secretary of the Dictator. Despite attempts to lure the small number of voters in Vaavu Atoll, the people have rejected incumbent member. The race is still open for the second place as 2,3,4 places are still too close to call. DO congratulates Ismail Shihab for this tremendous achievement.

BBC News
Activists 'win seats' in Maldives  

Opinion
Gayoom unleashes his brutes again
Four months after Gayoom's police brutally broke up a peaceful demonstration against the dictator's regime, they are at it again.
Last night when the tsunami-bereaved voters from Thaa Atoll protested that the authorities had closed the polls while people were still waiting to vote, police in riot gear arrived at the polling station in the capital Male to bundle off several protesters in their vehicles. read more

Falah Arrest last night - Video Clip on Minivan News

News Updates>>>

12:03 - Male' - Provisional Results

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Initial Analyses: This is a very respectable result for reformist candidates, despite the smear campaign against them by Gayyoom's government candidates. In Particular, Ibra's lead is a clear statement from the people of Male' to Gayyoom that his time is up. Ibra was under house arrest until 30 Dec. 2004, and yet people of Male' have spoken with a united voice. Mohamed Shihab ran a consistent and informative campaign and his reform agenda also proved to be what the people of Male' want.

It is unlikely that these provisional results will change after the absentee ballots are counted. The difference is relatively larger between the leading 2 candidates and the others.

For example, Ibra has 3,721 votes more than 3rd place Hamid Rasheed and 4,067 more votes than 4th place Abdullaa Kamaaluddeen. And, similarly, Shihab has 2,974 votes more than Hamid Rasheed and 3,320 more than Abdulla Kamaaluddeen.

Given this huge difference, it is safe assume that the positions will not change. Election Commissioner will have (or should have) the total number of registered eligible Male' Voters who may vote from resorts and other islands. Again safe to assume that a similar pattern will emerge from those voters as well, unless Hamid and AK wins all those seats and hence the election.

Inside the mind of the dictator: I will not rig the votes in Male' and Addu Atoll because the public is likely to resist and demonstrate. And, these are the two mass populated locations in Maldives and perhaps the most well informed. My security forces will be far too thinly stretched to control demonstrations in these two location. Out of the 42 seats, I still have 38 to play with.

11:56 - Male' - Local media has announced that Male' counting has been completed.

11:19am - Election Puzzle To Solve - Election Delay Announcement of 28th December 2004 - According to this announcement, which delayed the Polling Day by 22 days, several other Maldivians must have turned 21 during this period who would then be eligible to vote. However, if they were outside of Male' there was no way for them to register their location because the announcement says that those who want to vote at a different location from where a person resides must register or notify 30 days before the polling day. The Announcement was on 28th December 2004 and the Polling Day was 22 January, which at best counts as 28 days, including the day of announcement. This is quite a puzzle, that perhaps only Dear Leader Gayyoom can solve. Another important issue is, that the eligible voters list since the delay has not been updated, to find out the actual turn out. For example, as per the list prior to the postponement of the election, eligible voters in Male' was 29,763. The list on the election website still remains the same. This means no increase in number of eligible voters in Male', indicating that no one turned 21 in the whole of Male' from 1 - 22 January 2005. Commissioner Rashad must have thought that this was not important. Maldivians are stupid or will be too scared to complain. He must have thought that.

11:01am - Sun Island - More than 100 staff of Sun Island protested last night until 20:30 and stopped the ballot boxes from being taken to Male' but they were threatened by the police and so eventually gave up.

11:00am - Coco Palm Resort - Staff have complained as others in many resorts that they were not able to vote despite registering by sending a list to the commissioner early on in December.

10:52am - Male' - Still no results - It has been well over 24 hours since polling began but still no results have been announced. Locals are frustrated as many stayed up till early hours of the morning to get the first results, as promised last night by the Commissioner. "A comedian from Male' said "it is taking too long because initially they have to announce 235 million votes and 1.3 billion votes in the long term, that's why?".

10:52am - Hilton Resort - Voting began around 9 am and those with ID cards are allowed to vote. This might spark off more demands from eligible voters in other resort islands who were denied their rights yesterday. Hilton Staff got their way because they staged a protest.

06:15am - Male' - The announcement of the provisional vote for Male' has been delayed further despite the commissioner's statement earlier at 2 am that the results will be announced at 5am. The excuse is that a ballot box is still not closed, which is specifically the one in Hilton Resort. The matter was alerted by DO and other agencies as well round about midnight. It is now said that they are going to send ballot papers by sea plane in the morning. However, local news reported that all Male' boxes, 26 of them, were in the premises hence this excuse is unacceptable. Local pundits believe that the 2 reformist candidates for Male' Shihab and Ibra are leading by a great margin, which is being hard to digest. They are hence waiting for Gayyoom to wake up and 'decide the fate' of Maldivians, as usual. According to sources in the counting centre, if the first few boxes were anything to go by, Shihab and Ibra's provisional vote will offer them a clear winning margin without the need to wait for a final count. Inside information also indicate that Abdulla Kamaaluddeen is not even in the top 5.

00:55 Gaafu Dhaalu - Reports are coming that there has been reported irregularities with ballot boxes in Gdh. Gadhoo and Thinadhoo islands. Police has now been utilised to cover up the case and to transport the ballot boxes.

00:22 Male' - Election Commissioner Rashad gave a statement just before mid night saying that Thaa Atoll Ballot Box (which was closed whilst people were waiting to vote in Male' at Giyassuddeen School which sparked unrest earlier) was shut because it was packed. He said that a new box has been sent and voting will continue until 1:30am. In addition, he has also stated that work will continue tonight until the provisional votes for Male' is announced.

BBC News
Maldives votes for new parliament
Voters in the Maldives have cast their ballots in a general election postponed as a result of last month's tsunami.
No political parties are allowed and nearly 150 candidates stood as independents for the 42-seat assembly.
Reformist candidates have complained of irregularities, including allegations that the government threatened voters with withholding reconstruction aid. read more