Male’, Maldives – Vice President of the Elections Commission (EC) Ahmed Akram has resigned after being voted to be removed by the Parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee yesterday after allegations of sexual harassment.
Akram announced his resignation in a letter to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih today, in which he said that he does not wish to continue as a member of an independent institution without support from the Independent Institutions Committee and has said that accusations against him are untrue and is a conspiracy orchestrated by a certain group.
Akram added that he had submitted multiple accounts with proof claiming his innocence to the committee.
Akram was accused of sexual harassments by female EC employees, who alleged that workplace sexual harassment is normalized at EC, describing it as “persistent like a tradition”.
A member of the Independent Institutions Committee said yesterday that, Akram was deposed after reviewing the information provided by the accusing employees and following some conversations held after summoning Akram and other EC members to a committee meeting.
The committee member also revealed that 7 out of 9 members participating at yesterday’s meeting voted to unseat Akram.
