The Maldives Police Service (MPS) has stated that over 1,200 officers are active at polling stations during the second round of the presidential election. MPS has commenced Operation Blue Wave to maintain security during the election.
At a press conference, Chief Superintendent of Police Ahmed Shakir, the Commander of Operation Blue Wave, said that police officers are fully prepared to respond to any situation during the election. He added that a total of 1,262 officers have been split into teams to cover different parts of the country and will be active throughout the day.
Speaking to PSM News, Chief Superintendent Shakir said that MPS has accounted for the issues faced during the first round of the election for its second iteration of Operation Blue Wave. As such, special teams have been assigned to attend to situations in specific regions and heavy load vehicles have been banned to reduce congestion and increase public safety during the election. He added that MPS is at the highest level of alertness and is prepared to respond any situation during and after the election.
MPS has instructed voters to follow the rules at polling stations and to avoid loitering after casting their ballot. The police service also urged the public to respect the rights of the voters and candidates and to wait patiently until the election results are announced.