Government agreed to provide MVR 30 million for election: EC

The Elections Commission (EC) has said that the government has agreed to provide MVR 30 million to hold fresh elections, following the annulment by the Supreme Court of the result of the first round of the presidential election.

Secretary General of the EC, Asim Abdul Sattar told Sun Online today that the budget required for the election is MVR 30 million, and that the government has agreed to provide this money.

Minister of Finance Abdulla Jihad said earlier, following the annulment of the result of the first round of the presidential election, that the government will provide the funds required to hold the election again.

The EC spent large sums of money on organising the first and second rounds of the election. Following the postponement of the second round of the election by the Supreme Court earlier, the Finance Ministry said that the government will not provide funds for the second round preparations made by the EC while the Supreme Court injunction was in place.