“Renegade” Police could disrupt polls, says ousted Maldives President

Friday, 6 September 2013 03:44 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Uditha Jayasinghe reporting from Malé Renegade elements within the Police and military are causing “apprehension,” insists the former Maldivian President ahead of polls on Thursday, but expressed confidence that the people’s choice would prevail. Exuding confidence, former President Mohammad Nasheed, who remains the first democratically elected president in the Maldives despite being ousted in early 2011, told international media that he believed a first round win was possible. According to the Maldives election system, unless a candidate earns 50% plus one vote in the first round, a second session of voting will be held. Analysts however have indicated that a

second run off is the most likely scenario. “The country is very ready for elections. We also feel that most people have decided on their candidate and we are confident that we will win in a single round,” he said, adding that his three years in power had inspired people. Nasheed alleged that “elements within the Police and military” had damaged posters and cut-outs of his party and dropped leaflets against him, but observed that it was done secretly because these factions did not enjoy the larger support of its members. “We are confident that the Elections Commission left to itself can deliver a free and fair election. But we are also apprehensive that elements within the Police and military, renegade elements within the Police and military, might intervene in the 11th hour or during voting or during counting. But we feel that even with such disruptions or interventions are made by these renegade elements, the people of the Maldives are not willing to tolerate that and therefore we hope to come out victorious either way on 8 September.” Nasheed has introduced extensive economic proposals promising to increase welfare, improve infrastructure, open up inhabited islands to tourism and push ahead with the fight against climate change in a five-year manifesto. His foreign policy was a simple one based on consistent engagement, he insisted in response to a question by Xinhua on his plans for cooperation with China if elected. “We did release our foreign policy some weeks ago. Our foreign policy, as we keep stating, is very simple: find a friend, be good to a friend and don’t play the friend off any other.” He went on to say that the incumbent President Waheed during the last 18 months had attempted to “play” China against India unsuccessfully and he would in contrast maintain an open investment policy. Transparency International in Maldives has also said politicisation of the Police and Judiciary are the two main concerns for free and fair elections in the largely peaceful run-up to presidential polls. United Nations Chief Ban-ki-moon and the Commonwealth Secretariat as well as India have called for credible and peaceful elections.