Reports of the Commonwealth Observer Group MALDIVES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 7 September 2013 and RE-RUN OF MALDIVES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 9 November 2013 and MALDIVES PRESIDENTIAL RUN-OFF ELECTION 16 November 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter of Transmittal – 9 November v Letter of Transmittal – 7 September vii Timeline of Events x MALDIVES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 7 September 2013 Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Terms of Reference 1 Activities 1 Chapter 2 Political Background 3 Pre 2008 Democratic Reform 3 2008 Presidential Elections 3 2009 Parliamentary Elections 3 Increasing Political Tensions 4 Local Council Elections 4 Formation of a New Party 4 February 2012 Transfer of Power 4 Significance of 2013 Elections 5 Chapter 3 Electoral Framework and Election 6 Administration Electoral Systems 6 International and Regional Commitments 6 National Electoral Legal Framework 6 Elections Commission Maldives 6 Voter Eligibility and Voter Registration 7 Candidate Eligibility and Nomination 8 Complaints, Appeals and Election Petitions 8 Key Issues 10 Complaints and Appeals Mechanism 10 Voter Register 10 Women’s Participation and Representation 11 Electoral Legislative Framework 11 Recommendations 11 ii Chapter 4 Election Campaign and Media 13 Campaign 13 Media Background 14 Legal Framework and Press Freedom 15 Media and the Campaign 16 Recommendations 17 Chapter 5 Voting, Counting and Results 19 Key Procedures for Opening and Voting 19 Assessment of Opening and Voting 20 Procedures for Counting and Results Tabulation 21 Assessment of Counting and Results Tabulation 21 Overview of the Countrywide Observation 22 Alifu Alifu Atoll and Alifu Dhaalu Atoll 22 Baa Atoll and Lhaviyani Atoll 22 Gaafu Alifu Atoll and Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll 23 Haa Alifu Atoll and Haa Dhaalu Atoll 23 Laamu Atoll 24 Kaafu Atoll and Malé 24 Noonu Atoll and Shaviyani Atoll 25 Raa Atoll 25 Seenu Atoll 26 The Results – First Round 27 Recommendations 27 Chapter 6 Conclusions and Recommendations 28 Recommendations 28 REPORT OF THE RE-RUN: MALDIVES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 9 November 2013 Section 1 Introduction 33 Section 2 Background to 9 November Elections 35 Postponement of 28 September Run-Off Election 35 Annulment of the 7 September Election 35 Establishment of the Supreme Court’s Sixteen Guidelines 37 Halting of the 19 October Election 37 9 November Re-Run of the First Round Election and Subsequent Run-Off Election 38 Political Environment and Electoral Campaign 38 Section 3 Electoral Administration and Preparations 40 iii The New Voter Register 40 Voter Re-registration 40 Section 4 Voting, Counting and Results 42 Assessment of the Opening and Voting 42 Assessment of the Counting and Results Tabulation 43 The Results – First Round Re-Run 44 Section 5 Conclusions and Recommendations 45 Recommendations 45 REPORT OF THE MALDIVES PRESIDENTIAL RUN-OFF ELECTION 16 November 2013 Section 1 Introduction 48 Section 2 Background to 16 November Election 48 Section 3 Voting, Counting and Results 50 Assessment of the Opening and Voting 50 Assessment of the Counting and Results Tabulation 50 The Results 51 **** Annexes Annex 1 – Composition of the Team 52 Annex 2 – Deployment Plan – 7 September 56 Annex 3 – Arrival Statement – 7 September 57 Annex 4 – Interim Statement – 7 September 59 Annex 5 – Deployment Plan – 9 November 65 Annex 6 – Interim Statement – 9 November 66 Annex 7 – Deployment Plan – 16 November 68 Annex 8 – Statement – 16 November 69 Annex 9 – Translation of Supreme Court Judgment of 7 October 2013 71 iv v vi vii viii ix Maldives Presidential Election 2013: Timeline of Events 7 Sept Presidential Election is held. As no candidate receives over 50 per cent of the vote, according to the Constitution a run-off election must be held within 21 days. 15 Sept Jumhooree Party files a petition to the Supreme Court seeking annulment of 7 September election. 23 Sept Supreme Court (four of the seven-member Bench) issues injunction against the holding of the scheduled 28 September run-off election. 25 Sept Supreme Court hearings of the Jumhooree petition are concluded. 26 Sept Supreme Court issues order for security forces to enforce the injunction and to take action against those who violate the injunction. 27 Sept Elections Commission announces that the scheduled 28 September election cannot take place given the lack of a conducive environment. 7 Oct Supreme Court majority verdict (four of the seven-member Bench) rules to annul the 7 September election. Supreme Court issues 16 Guidelines for holding the next election before 20 October. 8 Oct Elections Commission announces that the re-run of the 7 September election will take place on 19 October, with a possible run-off election on 26 October. 11 Oct Supreme Court issues an order that the Elections Commission must start anew the process of compiling the voter register and voter re- registration in accordance with the Guidelines. 13 Oct Supreme Court issues an order that candidates’ concerns regarding fingerprint verification of re-registration forms must be addressed. 18 Oct Jumhooree Party and PPM file a petition with the Supreme Court requesting an injunction against the 19 October election. 19 Oct Supreme Court does not deliver a judgment on the injunction petition but instead refers all parties to the Guidelines. PPM and Jumhooree do not sign the voters lists; the police refuse to assist with transporting voting materials, and police officers prevent elections officials from leaving the Elections Commission building with voting materials. The Chair of the Elections Commission announces that the 19 October election cannot proceed. 21 Oct Elections Commission announces that the re-run election will take place on 9 November, with a possible run-off election on 16 November. x 22 Oct Supreme Court issues an order that all future elections must be held in accordance with the Guidelines. 6 Nov Elections Commission agrees to request by President Waheed and the three candidates to bring forward the date of the possible run-off election from 16 to 10 November. 9 Nov The re-run Presidential Election is held. No candidate receives over 50 per cent of the vote. A Jumhooree Party member petitions the court for an injunction against holding the run-off election on 10 November. 10 Nov Supreme Court orders that the run-off election scheduled for 10 November be held instead on 16 November. 11 Nov According to the Constitution, the five-year term of the incumbent government expires. 16 Nov Run-off election is held. 17 Nov The newly-elected President is inaugurated. xi Chapter 1 Introduction Following an invitation from the Chairman of the Elections Commission of Maldives (EC), the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma, constituted an Observer Group for the Presidential Elections of 7 September 2013. Prior to this, the Secretary-General had sent an Assessment Mission to Maldives in June 2013 to consider the pre-electoral environment. The Commonwealth Observer Group for the 2013 elections in Maldives was led by Dr Lawrence Gonzi, former Prime Minister of Malta, and comprised 17 eminent persons. The Observer Group was supported by a six-person staff team from the Commonwealth Secretariat. A full list of members is at Annex 1. Terms of Reference ‘The Group is established by the Commonwealth Secretary-General at the request of the Elections Commission Maldives. It is to observe relevant aspects of the organisation and conduct of the Presidential Elections which are scheduled to take place on 7 September 2013, in accordance with the laws of Maldives. The Group is to consider the various factors impinging on the credibility of the electoral process as a whole. It will determine in its own judgment whether the elections have been conducted according to the standards for democratic elections to which Maldives has committed itself, with reference to national election-related legislation and relevant regional, Commonwealth and other international commitments. The Group is to act impartially and independently and shall conduct itself according to the standards expressed in the International Declaration of Principles to which the Commonwealth is a signatory. It has no executive role; its function is not to supervise but to observe the process as a whole and to form a judgment accordingly. In its Final Report, the Group is also free to propose to the authorities concerned recommendations for change on institutional, procedural and other matters as would assist the holding of future elections. The Group is to submit its report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General who will forward it to the Government of Maldives, the Elections Commission, political and civil society organisations and thereafter to all Commonwealth Governments.’ Activities The Observer Group arrived in Maldives on 31 August 2013. During four days of briefings, the Group met with the Elections Commission, political party representatives, civil society groups, the Broadcasting Commission, the Police, the Human Rights Commission, Commonwealth High Commissions, representatives of the United Nations, and domestic and international observers. 1 The Group issued an Arrival Statement on 2 September 2013 (Annex 2). Observers deployed in the atolls from 5 to 9 September 2013, and on election day teams visited polling stations in 14 atolls across the country. During deployment, teams met with election officials, political party and civil society representatives, and the police, as well as other observers. On the basis of the Group’s initial findings and observations, the Chairperson issued an Interim Statement on 9 September 2013 (Annex 3). The Group’s Final Report on the first round of voting was completed in Malé prior to departure on 14 September 2013 and thereafter transmitted to the Commonwealth Secretary-General. 2 Chapter 2 Political Background Pre-2008 Democratic Reform Maldives achieved independence in 1965, and established itself as a republic in 1968. The country was ruled by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom from 1978 to 2008, with Gayoom elected for six successive terms by single-candidate referenda.