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ECM says it is unbiased and free from influence

The Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has stated that it is unbiased and free from influence for the upcoming presidential election.

Speaking at the first meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Elections, the President of ECM Fuad Thaufeeq requested the committee members to give their full support in holding a smooth presidential election. He also provided details of the electoral body’s work to ensure a fair election.

Additionally, Fuad said that ECM is free from bias and influence and will provide the results of the election in a transparent manner while being vigilant of any action that might jeopardise transparency. He expressed confidence that no influence will reach ECM during its work to hold the election.

Also at the meeting, Vice President of ECM Ismail Habeeb highlighted the challenges that may hinder the work of the electoral body as it nears the election. As such, he said that there are challenges involved in hiring workers at the current salary. He noted that it has been months since ECM has been seeking software developers and that it was concerning that no application has been submitted.

Furthermore, ECM discussed formulating policies for holding future committee meetings. In addition, representatives of political parties expressed concern over the attempts to change laws and regulations so close to the presidential election. Representatives of the Maldives Media Council (MMC) and the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (Broadcom) also expressed concern over proposed legal changes that would restrict the freedom of journalists.