Maldives poll body confirms opposition victory in elections
Male, Sep 29 : The Election Commission of Maldives on Saturday confirmed the victory of opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the nation's general election and defeat of incumbent President Abdulla Yameen.
Maldives Democratic Party's Solih got 134,705 votes (58.4 per cent) while Yameen, leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives, secured 96,052 votes (41 per cent), Election Commission President Ahmed Shareef said.
"We have announced official results after the bureau decided the complaints will not affect the results in anyway," Shareef said, adding that the results had been delayed as the complaint department had to analyze objections they had received by the ruling party.
The final results confirmed the provisional data released by the poll body after the Sunday elections, The Edition reported.
Prior to the final declaration by the poll body, Yameen accepted his defeat in a live television address. "I know that I have to step down now," said Yameen, who has ruled the country for the last five years amid accusations of authoritarianism.
Yameen's acceptance of the results surprised the opposition, which had been anticipating electoral fraud and a possible crackdown on its supporters. He had earlier asked the poll body to defer the announcement of the election results, according to reports.
Earlier this week, the opposition criticized alleged manoeuvres by Yameen to delay the announcement of results.
However, the Election Commission President had said that the results would not be delayed beyond Sunday and the police and Army promised to "defend the decision made by the people on September 23".
The third elections after the fall of the three-decade long rule of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom were marked by a grave constitutional crisis after Yameen cracked down on opposition leaders, arrested judges and declared a state of emergency earlier this year.
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Political row in Bengal after 104-year-old man put under 'adjudication category' in electoral rolls
Kolkata (PTI): A 104-year-old man has complained of being listed in the "under adjudication" category in the final electoral rolls issued by the Election Commission following the SIR exercise in West Bengal on February 28, officials said on Wednesday.
Sheikh Ibrahim, a resident of Jamalpur gram panchayat in Purba Bardhaman district, said he has voted in every election since India’s first general polls after Independence and had never faced such an experience.
"Is it a crime to live beyond 100 years? I have always believed in casting votes and exercising my democratic rights. Why can't I vote this time? This is my country," he said.
His 70-year-old son said that after his father was called for a hearing at camps "due to some logical discrepancies as claimed by the EC," EC officials later visited their residence, and all necessary documents were submitted.
"The EC official who conducted the hearing expressed satisfaction and assured his name will be in the rolls. However, after the final rolls were published, we found his name listed ‘under adjudication category.’ We fail to comprehend why," his son said.
Flagging the matter, the TMC alleged on X that "104-year-old Sheikh Ibrahim, who was born in pre-Independent India and has voted in every election since the first general elections, was summoned for a hearing and subjected to harassment after being included in the ‘under adjudication’ list."
"Can you imagine the extent of harassment he has faced? How much lower will the Commission stoop?" the party asked.
"Do they think they can gift Bengal to the BJP by deleting names of valid voters even before the elections? It is not that easy. Bengal knows how to respond, and it knows how to fight," the post read.
There was no immediate response from the EC or the BJP to the allegations.
