TM Flags Representation and Vote Buying Concerns Ahead of Parliamentary Elections

Transparency Maldives (TM) has highlighted recurring issues of insufficient representation and allegations of vote buying, along with the misuse of state resources, in the lead-up to the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The anti-corruption NGO released the findings of its Pre-Election Assessment yesterday, underscoring challenges and apprehensions it claims have persisted through previous electoral cycles.

advertisement

Foremost among these concerns is the underrepresentation of women candidates from major political parties. According to the NGO’s observations, there has been no discernible improvement in the proportion of women candidates since the inaugural parliamentary elections in 2009.

TM stated that the Maldives ranks lowest in terms of women’s representation within South Asia and is among the poorest performers globally in this regard.

A press release issued by TM reads: “Even among successful party-affiliated candidates, there is a notable trend of them hailing from socio-economically and politically advantaged backgrounds, indicating the presence of intersectional barriers.”

Additionally, the prevalence of vote buying and the misuse of state resources remain areas of concern, according to the NGO. It highlighted instances where projects are conveniently initiated or concluded to coincide with the electoral campaign period for political gain. The exploitation of State-Owned Enterprises for electoral advantage was also brought to attention.

Reports of vote buying during the ongoing election cycle have been received by the NGO, with certain candidates claiming that voters openly demand financial incentives in exchange for their support. These issues persist due to inadequate enforcement mechanisms and a lack of expeditious investigations.

The practice of allocating constituencies based on permanent addresses has disenfranchised thousands of individuals, preventing them from voting in the constituencies where they reside and have significant socio-economic and political interests, including numerous residents who have permanently relocated to the capital, Malé.

TM has urged political parties and relevant stakeholders to identify and rectify obstacles hindering the participation of women at the party level. It has also called upon the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Maldives Police Service (MPS) to bolster monitoring, investigation, and prosecution efforts concerning vote buying and the misappropriation of state resources.

Furthermore, the NGO has urged the parliament to deliberate and reassess the current system of constituency allocation based on permanent addresses. Such a review, it contends, should address issues of equity between urban centres, particularly Malé, and other regions of the country