Tourism Minister, Mr. Ali Waheed has stated that works to delay every possible election is a sad ordeal, and that it restricts the rights of several candidates.

While the 19th Parliamentary Election is scheduled to be held on April 6, rumors have fueled talks of possibly delaying the elections through a court verdict. Speculations have been rife within Jumhooree Party (JP) – to which Minister Waheed belongs to, as well as opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

In a tweet sent out on Monday, Minister Waheed said that “It is a sad ordeal to see some people working towards delaying elections every single time Maldivians have to go the ballot box. This not only restricts the rights of several candidates, but also directly affects their campaign strategies. In a competitive environment, we need to be able to accept defeat and embrace victory.”

Apart from the Minister, even the President himself has addressed the issue and acknowledged the rumors as well. He noted that the government was ready for any such action.

President of the Elections Commission, Ahmed Shareef on Sunday noted that the commission has heard rumors about works in delaying the elections, and reiterated that they will work towards holding the election on the scheduled date till last minute.

Shareef noted that if the Elections were to be delayed, it would cost the government an extra MVR 20 million.