Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has stated that only three of the candidates who contested the last presidential election submitted financial statements that met the legal requirements for acceptance.
ECM stated that only the financial statements submitted by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, and Jumhooree Party (JP) candidate Qasim Ibrahim were legally acceptable. The financial statements of the other five candidates did not meet the standards set out in the Elections General Act.
Therefore, ECM has decided to take action against the candidates and their election agents in accordance with the law. The five candidates will be fined USD1,300 each while the agents will be fined USD389. They will be required to pay the fines within 30 days.
When submitting a financial statement, the candidate must include details of the expenses incurred in connection with their election campaign and how the funds were obtained. They are also required to submit a copy of the receipts, invoices, and bills verifying the information on the donors and the amount of money and resources spent on the election and the bank account statements.