International Election “Watchdog” Set Up By Former Foreign Minister

An international network of politicians and other professionals has been set up by former foreign minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed to help ensure the country’s first multi-party presidential elections are free and fair.

At least ten designated individuals, including British and European parliamentarians, will liaise with representatives in the Maldivian capital, Malé, to gain information on reform progress as elections approach.

Meanwhile, a pledged independent elections commission has not yet been created and the European Union is due to send just two to five “technical experts” to observe the polls.

Watchdog

Shaheed says the network, to be known as Maldives Election Watch, will oversee “anything that will affect the election process”.

Presidential elections are due to take place this year, although the date is dependent on the last chapter of the constitution in progress.

The new group will see key politicians and other professionals such as journalists gather information on progress in the run-up to elections, and then lobby national and regional governments to take up the issue.

Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Robert Evans is to act as chairperson of the group, which will also include British House of Lords Member George Foukes and Member of Parliament Andrew MacKinley, according to Shaheed.

Shaheed argues the Maldivian government has failed to act on a number of pledges aimed to make elections free and fair, including full media independence, an end to government appointment of atoll and island chiefs, and an independent elections commission.

Reforms

The move by Shaheed, who is also part of the New Maldives political group along with presidential contender Hassan Saeed, comes at a time when international pressure is mounting on the government to pass reforms to ensure a free and fair election.

In particular, an independent elections commission was pledged to replace the existing body, which is headed by presidential appointee Ahmed KD Manik.

Government officials including legal reform commissioner Mohamed Anil now argue such independent commissions cannot be put in place until the constitution in progress is complete, giving a them a legal mandate.

But for Shaheed, “there is no argument for not creating these [independent bodies] now”.

He added that proposed amendments to the Civil Service Act will also “undermine the neutrality of the civil service”, and in turn unfairly influence the elections.

The amendments, currently being debated in parliament, include provisions for atoll and island chiefs to remain under the president’s jurisdiction.

Shaheed argues that despite promises of reform, “the people that really matter [in terms of influencing the elections] are still in place”.

International Monitoring

The European Union will send an “expert team” to observe the elections, but will not be carrying out full observation or monitoring.

Rosham Lyman, Head of Politics and Trade at the EU delegation to Colombo, told Minivan News two to five “fully-fledged technical experts” would be sent.

Previous elections have been surrounded by allegations of corruption, and on a visit in February, Conservative MP Francis Maude said: “I don’t think anyone would seriously pretend that there have been free and fair elections in the past.”

The August 2007 referendum, which resulted in the adoption of a presidential rather than a parliamentary system of government, was judged by the Human Rights Commission to be “generally fair”. But the elections commission has since admitted serious flaws in voter lists and authentication.

The right to free and fair elections is enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which the Maldives acceded in September 2006.