Challenger Nasheed wants Maldives president to resign

Male, Maldives: The leading candidate in the Maldives’ troubled presidential election demanded Sunday that the president resign and allow the parliamentary speaker to take over the government and oversee a fresh poll.

Speaking to reporters a day after police stopped officials from holding a scheduled revote of last month’s election, Mohamed Nasheed accused President Mohamed Waheed Hassan of working with the country’s defense minister and police chief to obstruct the vote.

The move by the police to stop Saturday’s revote came as the latest blow to this Indian Ocean island nation, which has seen much upheaval in its first five years as a democracy. Failing to elect a president by 11 November, when Hassan’s term ends, could bring about a constitutional crisis in the country.

The Supreme Court earlier this month annulled the results of the 7 September election, agreeing with a losing candidate that the voters’ list had made-up names and names of dead people. Nasheed led that election with more than 45 percent of the vote, but failed to secure a majority for an outright win.

Nasheed said Sunday that he has lost all hope that an election will ever be held during Hassan’s tenure, accusing Hassan, Defense Minister Mohamed Nasim and Police Chief Abdulla Riyaz of wanting to stay in power without having a new vote.

“It is very evident that they have been obstructing the election and it is also very evident the game they are trying to play,” Nasheed told reporters, adding that Hassan, Nasim and Riyaz want to take Maldives into a “constitutional void” and stay in power for a long time.

“We believe that the only prudent way forward and a possible solution is for Dr. Waheed (Hassan) to resign and the speaker of Parliament to take over government until Nov. 11, for the election to be held under his tenure and not under the unelected … rule of Dr. Waheed,” Nasheed said.

Presidential spokesman Masood Imad denied Nasheed’s allegation, and said Hassan would not resign.

“I don’t think anybody in this country doesn’t want an election. The president more than anybody else wants to have an election,” Imad said.

Hassan stepped in Saturday to mediate in the crisis, proposing to the Elections Commission that a new vote be held 26 October. The commission, however, has not announced a date yet.

After the election last month, Nasheed was set for a runoff with the brother of the country’s longtime autocratic ruler when the Supreme Court ordered the revote. The court also set forth 16 guidelines for the Elections Commission to follow during the new poll, including having the voters’ register approved by all candidates. Nasheed’s two rivals have refused to approve the register, citing flaws in the list.

The Maldives held its first multiparty election in 2008, with Nasheed defeating the country’s 30-year autocratic ruler, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Nasheed resigned last year after weeks of public protests against his order to arrest a senior judge he perceived as corrupt and partial. Hassan, who was Nasheed’s deputy, took over presidency. Nasheed has since accused Hassan of helping to orchestrate a coup.

A local commission has ruled out Nasheed’s claim of a coup, but the country, best known as a luxurious vacation destination, has since been politically polarised.

Associated Press