Fuad hits back at Maria for 'making noise' about invalid votes
"Therefore, I don't see any reason to make such noise," Fuwad wrote on X.
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By
Aminath Shifleen
Elections Commission chief Fuad Thaufeeq hit back at ruling MDP's presidential campaign spokesperson Mariya Ahmed Didi, saying that the gap between the three candidates who received the most votes in Saturday's presidential election was greater than the total number of invalid votes.
Speaking at a party camp rally held on Tuesday evening to resume the MDP campaign activities after the election results, defence minister Mariya criticised the invalidation of a large number of votes. She said there were enough invalid votes to invalidate the election.
Responding to Mariya's remarks, Fuad said in a post on X that the difference between the first and second place winners was greater than the number of invalid votes. The difference between the second and third candidates is also larger than the invalid votes, he said.
Official results of Saturday's presidential election show main opposition PPM-PNC's Dr Mohamed Muizz leading the polls with 46%, while President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih secured 39%.
To win outright, a candidate needs more than 50% of the votes. As no candidate crossed the threshold, a runoff between the top two contenders will take place on September 30.
"Therefore, I don't see any reason to make such noise," Fuad wrote on X.
In the first round, more than 4,000 votes were declared invalid for various reasons.
Mariya also responded to Fuwad's tweet saying that “it’s a citizen’s fundamental right to have a say by his/her vote. It’s an individual right, not a collective right, to be determined by the result. I totally disagree with you Sir!”.
Speaking at Tuesday evening’s meeting, she said, "Even if an old man marked over their check mark because his old eyes couldn't make out his first mark, the vote was invalidated saying that the rules were not followed”.
Her comments suggested that the EC had invalidated the votes too easily.
"So why don't an EC member sit there to make the perfect mark. Our elderly people don't know how to make such a mark," she said.
Mariyaz also criticised the EC for the polling arrangements. One of the things she mentioned was the lack of wheelchairs for the elderly at the polling station.
Fuad responded to that as well. He said the Elections Commission has never provided wheelchairs in any election in the history of Maldives.
