Presidential Candidates Submits Financial Reports
Six candidates from the Maldivian presidential election, excluding the two participants in the runoff, have successfully submitted their financial statements to the Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM).
According to Hassan Zakariyya, the secretary-general of the ECM, the six candidates mandated to submit their financial reports by Wednesday have met this requirement.
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The candidates who have adhered to the financial disclosure obligation are as follows:
- Ilyas Labeeb representing The Democrats
- Qasim Ibrahim from the Jumhoory Party
- Hassan Zameel, running independently
- Faris Maumoon, an Independent candidate
- Mohamed Nazim of the Maldives National Party
- Umar Naseer, standing as an Independent candidate
Hassan clarified that the two candidates who advanced to the runoff, namely Ibrahim Mohamed Solih from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the incumbent president, and Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, the candidate from the People’s National Congress (PNC) expected to assume the presidency, are obliged to submit their financial statements by November 30.
Presidential candidates are mandated to disclose comprehensive details regarding their election-related expenditures, funding sources, and their bank account statements. Moreover, they are required to reveal information about individual donors, the precise amounts donated, and provide receipts to authenticate the validity of the information.
In reference to the 2018 election, the ECM previously stated that the financial reports submitted by President Solih and then-President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom suggested similar spending levels on their respective presidential campaigns.
However, Fuad Thaufeeq, the chairman of the ECM, noted that neither candidate’s financial statement was considered complete.
The Elections Act stipulates the imposition of fines as the initial recourse should candidates fail to submit their financial statements in line with legal requirements.
Notably, the ECM levied fines against candidates for inadequate submission of financial reports during the Guraidhoo by-election conducted in April. This particular case was also referred to the Prosecutor General’s Office.
