MDA leader Siyam alleges election fraud

Leader of the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) Ahmed Siyam Mohamed has accused the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) of committing election fraud and gaining 20,000 illegal votes.

Siyam made his statement while speaking at a campaign rally by MDA and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) on Tuesday night.

“Some people had 15 ballot papers, 15 votes, when they went to cast the vote. The elections official checks the name and hands another ballot paper to the voter. A lot of people had cast votes like this. He marks number four before leaving home and casting the 15 votes, a total of 16 including the one he received. 2000 people voted like this. This is something the Maldivian people must think about,” Siyam said.

He said that it is now certain that 20,000 votes were cast illegally during the September 7th election. The fraud was systematic, he said.

Siyam said that hundreds of counterfeit ballots were printed from a press in Haa Dhaalu Kulhudhuffushi and distributed to several islands around the country.

Police have concluded investigations of the Kulhudhuffushi ballot counterfeit incident and forwarded the case the Prosecutor General’s Office asking prosecution of two individuals.

Siyam described MDP government’s three year term as “dark three years of extreme torture” and said that it shall not be repeated.

“The Maldivian people have thought hard, the dark three years of extreme torture has been wiped off from Maldivian existence. It will not come back, God willing,” Siyam said.

He said that the fundamental cause of unrest in all countries is poverty and that the Maldivian people are asking to be led away from neediness and towards the progress and development. He said that the people must work together to move away from a MDP government if they want to achieve this goal.

Siyam also called upon the general members of MDP to re-think their association with the party.