Male’, Maldives – Opposition coalition of PPM and PNC stated that they will go to the court if they don’t get equal amount of chance to campaign for the upcoming local council elections in Maldive.
While expressing concern, the opposition said that the incumbent government is deliberately coming in between the political events that are held by the opposition and that the people of the incumbent government are campaigning in the name of official trips in the atolls.
The spokesperson of PPM, Heena Waleedh stated that the opposition is not getting the chance to campaign for the local elections in the atolls of Maldives nor in the capital Male’ city.
If we don’t get the chance to campaign at an equal rate, then PPM and PNC coalition will present this matter to the court.
Heena Waleedh stated.
Heena further informed that the leaders and council members of the coalition wishes to campaign for the different candidates in the islands of Maldives and that they wish to travel to the islands to do so.
However, Heena stated that the Health Protection Agency (HPA) is not allowing the opposition members to travel to the islands. She said that they have already sent several letters requesting to allow the members to travel, however, Heena informed that none of the letters were responded by the agency.
It is alarming that even till date HPA has still not given a response to our requests.
Heena Waleedh stated.
According to Heena, HPA has easily given green light for President Solih, Vice President Faisal Naeem and other superior members to travel to different atolls of Maldives. While noting that HPA did not give the chance for opposition members, Heena questioned and complained as to why the agency is differentiating the two parties like this.
We want to ask if Covid-19 is only going to spread if the opposition people travel to the atolls and whether President Solih, Vice President Faisal and other superior members are free of Covid-19?
Heena Waleedh stated.
The President of the Elections Commission of Maldives, Ahmed Shareef recently said that if the candidates wouldn’t get the chance to campaign due to Covid-19, they wouldn’t have announced that the elections will be held on 2021. Shareef also said that he will discuss with HPA to find ways to campaign in the atolls of Maldives during this pandemic.
The local council elections were initially scheduled to be held in April. However, due to the current Covid-19 pandemic in Maldives, the elections were postponed and is now to be held on March 6th of 2021.
