Former Medhu-Henveiru MP Ali Azim, running for Male’ Mayor on the MDP ticket in next year’s local council elections, has filed complaints with the MDP Appeal Court President Ahmed Abdullah Afeef, alleging the primary has been organized in violation of party rules.

In his letter, Azim stated that issues have arisen regarding how the voter registry for the December 16 primary was published and how the administrative and electoral bodies are operating, resulting in violations of electoral rights. One key issue he highlighted is that the primary voter registry was published with a cutoff date prior to the primary date itself, which he says violates MDP’s electoral regulations.

Azim also stated that changes made to electoral regulations were implemented suddenly without being brought to the National Assembly, which he claims violates the party constitution. He further noted that the Election Committee overseeing the primary includes members with conflicts of interest, and that Committee Chair Mohamed Falah has been contacting people seeking support for him.

Azim pointed out that Committee Deputy Chair Ibrahim Muizzu is overseeing primary operations despite having campaigned for Azim on social media and being someone Azim appointed as a supervisor at Male’ City Council during his mayorship, constituting a conflict of interest. His letter stated these matters require serious consideration and urgent action.