Press Release of the Human Rights Commission of Maldives is local newspapers

The following is the text of the English report on the Haveeru Daily:

MALE, Feb 5 (HNS) -- The Human Rights Commission on Thursday said that it has acquired enough evidence to send two cases of elections offences to court.

However, the HRC did not give details of the cases which it claimed occurred during the parliamentary elections of last month.

Chairperson Ahmed Mujuthaba said that the commission will first forward the cases to the Elections Commission and wait to see what they would do about it.

After sending 19 observers to 11 atolls during the January 22 elections, Mujuthaba said that he would forward recommendations to the Elections Commission and lawmakers on measures that need to be taken to make future elections free and fair.

In a press release, the HRC praised the Elections Commission for many measures introduced this time to try to make elections free and fair, but after noting some discrepancies, said that the HRC was of the view that the parliamentary elections of January 22 was not generally free and fair.

Among the plus points HRC awarded to the Elections Commission was strengthening security of ballot boxes and allowing representatives of candidates to be present near the boxes and to be present during counting. HRC also commended Elections Commission’s decision not to include island officials and magistrates as responsible for the ballot boxes.

However, Mujuthaba, at a press conference he held with four other members of the HRC, also noted elections offences, among them officials in island communities urging their electorate to vote for certain candidates.

Some candidates also misused government vehicles and vessels in campaigning, HRC alleged.

Educational authorities were involved in the election and in the process of campaigning to an unacceptable level with parents being influenced through students and school resources and staff used in a manner indicative of official approval, HRC claimed.

Pressure was also applied in a similar manner by health authorities and by electricity authorities, HRC alleged.

HRC also claimed that authorities did not take action against candidates and their supporters who allegedly bought votes with cash.