Dh. Meedhoo Council presidency: Disputed vote declared invalid by EC

The Elections Commission of the Maldives (EC) has formally declared that a disputed vote cast in the election for the presidency of the Dh. Meedhoo constituency during the recently concluded Local Council Elections shall be invalidated, following allegations of electoral fraud.

The matter was duly referred to the Commission’s Complaints Bureau by the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), which asserted that an individual lacking the requisite eligibility had nevertheless cast a ballot at a polling station situated in L. Fonadhoo. According to official EC documentation obtained by Sun, members of the Bureau reached a unanimous decision that the vote in question was invalid and must accordingly be deducted from the total count.

The MDA submitted its complaint last Monday, highlighting that only four individuals had been registered to vote for the Dh. Meedhoo Council President at the L. Fonadhoo No. 3 ballot box. The party further noted that, notwithstanding the fact that one of the registered voters had not traveled to Fonadhoo to cast a ballot, the official results reflected that four votes had nonetheless been recorded at that station.

The significance of the dispute was heightened by the exceptionally narrow margin separating the two leading candidates within the constituency. Preliminary results released by the EC indicated that Suha Ibrahim, representing the People’s National Congress (PNC), was leading with 393 votes, while MDA’s candidate Mohamed Shahid followed closely with 392 votes. In light of this single-vote margin, the MDA called for a formal inquiry, emphasizing that the inclusion of even one invalid vote could materially affect the final outcome of the election.

Upon completion of its investigation, the EC confirmed through its official findings that, among the four individuals who cast ballots at the Fonadhoo No. 3 ballot box, one was not legally eligible to participate in the election for the Dh. Meedhoo Council presidency. The Commission therefore verified that one of the four votes cast was illegitimate.

The EC further clarified that all four votes recorded at the aforementioned ballot box had been cast in favor of Candidate Number 01, Suha Ibrahim (PNC). Having established that the invalid vote had been included in her total, the Commission members unanimously declared the vote invalid, thereby reducing her total by one.

This constitutes a consequential revision of the election results for the Dh. Meedhoo Council presidency. Whereas Suha had previously held a lead with 393 votes, the annulment reduces her tally to 392, thereby placing her in an exact tie with MDA’s candidate Shahid, who has likewise secured 392 votes.

In light of this deadlock, the EC has yet to announce the subsequent legal course of action. Under established electoral procedures, such a tie would ordinarily necessitate the conduct of a run-off election between the candidates.