MDP hails primary as most successful, fair polls in party history

MDP said on Sunday that the party's presidential primary held on Saturday was valid and there were no complaints to change the outcome of the vote.

MDP president Mohamed Nasheed's team, who contested the election, alleged that the primary vote was rigged.

At a press conference held at the MDP office Sunday morning, the committee that organised the primary denied this.

Committee chair Ibrahim Wahid said 60 complaints had been filed so far regarding the primaries. It is:

"There are no such complaints... There are complaints that nine people whose names are not in the voters' list have cast their votes. So, how do we determine that? You have to tell which box and who. Nine people voted for this box, which is the very least," Ibrahim Waheed said in response to a reporter's question on whether he had received any complaints that could change the results.

Ibrahim Waheed, who is also the deputy chairperson of MDP, said that this is the most successful election ever held by a political party in the Maldives. He said that polling booths have been set up in all the islands and the declaration of provisional results on the same day after polling is over is a success. It was pointed out that this had not happened in an internal election for any party in the past.

"Our entire committee believes that free, valid and fair elections took place," Ibrahim Waheed said.

Nasheed team alleged that fake votes were cast in the boxes. Ibrahim Waheed, however, denied this.

As per the provisional election results: