MDP Press Release on eligible voters registry

Reference No: 18 /10/2013

17 October 2013

The Maldivian Democratic Party notes the following regarding the eligible voters list for the presidential election scheduled for 19 October 2013 compiled by the Elections Commission with the Department of National Registry as the source,

1) The number of eligible voters on 7 September 2013 in the list released by the Elections Commission was 239,593. The number of eligible voters on 19 October 2013 in the list released by the Elections Commission on 14 October 2013 is 239,198. Therefore, the Party notes that the number of eligible voters on 19 October 2013 is 395 persons fewer than the number of eligible voters on 7 September 2013.

2) When the voter list of 7 September 2013, compiled by the Election Commission, is compared with the 19 October 2013 voter list compiled by the Election Commission with the Department of National Reigstration as its source, we find that there an additional 2, 258 ID cards.

3) Despite the eligible voters list for 19 October 2013 being 395 persons fewer than the eligible voters list for 7 September 2013, and despite the 2,258 extra ID cards as noted in point (2), the total number of eligible voters on 19 October 2013 is 239,158.

4) The names of 62 persons among the 239,158 eligible voters for 19 October 2013 was doubled or repeated. That is 0.03% of eligible voters.

5) 789 individuals turned 18 years of age between 7 September 2013 and 19 October 2013 and became eligible to vote.

6) When the 789 children who turned 18 are subtracted from the additional ID cards (2,258) on the eligible voters list for 19 October 2013, we note that 1,469 persons have been added to the voters list in unclear circumstances. That is 0.61% of eligible voters.

Despite noting the aforementioned matters, since the margin of error (0.61%) is negligible and because the Constitution of the Maldives states that there must be an elected President on 11 November 2013, the MDP has decided to accept the list and go ahead with the Presidential Election scheduled to be held on 19 October 2013

ENDS

Hamid Abdul Ghafoor
Spokesperson, International Affairs
Mobile: +9607778285
Tel: +9603340044