MDP Presidential Primaries held despite obstacles

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) held it's Presidential primaries today (May 30). Voting began at 2 PM and will continue till midnight. Polling booths have been set up all around the Maldives as well as in a number of other countries. Here in Sri Lanka polling booths were set up at three locations Nawala, Dehiwala, and Kandy. Former President Mohommad Nasheed who is the only candidate contesting for the Primaries, cast his ballot today in Nawala. Expressing his views he stated that MDP members must have an opportunity to say their choice of candidate and if the government is unwilling to let their choice of candidate take part in the coming elections it certainly will not be a free and fair and inclusive election. Over in the Maldives, the Police took steps to remove ballot boxes from MDP polling booths inline with a Court order. According to Maldivian media, Court had stated that allowing a convict, such as former President Mohamed Nasheed, to contest in the election is illegal and ordered the police service to stop the election. In February this year, the Supreme Court of the Maldives issued a ruling to quash the convictions of Nasheed and eight other political dissidents. However, soon afterward the arrest of the Chief Justice, the verdict was changed. The Maldivian elections commission has also threatened to dissolve the MDP for conducting the presidential primaries. Former President Mohommad Nasheed speaking about this matter stated that the government in the Maldives had started to disrupt the vote in Male and added that there are no legal grounds to dissolve his political party.