The Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has requested Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to clarify the reason for not allowing Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Ahmed Mahloof to contest in the party’s upcoming internal elections.
ECM member Fuwad Thaufeeq said the commission has sent a letter to MDP requesting for clarification on the situation around Mahloof’s candidacy in the internal elections of the party. Fuwad noted Mahloof had informed the commission that he has been denied the opportunity to run in the party’s elections, despite not being found guilty of any crimes under any laws of the country.
Mahloof was disqualified from running in the internal elections for not meeting the criteria set by the MDP steering committee. The main ruling party had banned all individuals who were involved at any level in the corruption scandal of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) from contesting in any of the internal elections of the party.
Furthermore, MDP had also banned individuals named in any of the lists publicised by the Presidential Commission on the Investigation of Murders and Enforced Disappearances (DDCom) or the Presidential Commission on Corruption and State Asset Recovery, in relation to any crime. Individuals accused of rape and paedophilia are also banned from contesting in the party's elections.
Mahloof has been suspended from his role as Youth Minister, after the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) forwarded charges of corruption against him to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO). However, the PGO has not yet made a decision on pressing the charges in court.