Dr. Ikram Abdul Sattar, a contender in Adhaalath Party (AP)’s internal election scheduled for next week’s Saturday to elect a president, has announced his decision to boycott the election.
In a press statement, Ikram’s campaign office said he is boycotting the election due to lack of transparency and fairness in all election-related processes. He alleged that there is a conspiracy to produce a “desired” result in the election “by any means possible”.
The other candidate contesting for AP’s presidency in the international election is the party’s current vice president Sheikh Mohamed Shifan.
Earlier, Ikram submitted a letter seeking ballot boxes in the party’s presidential election scheduled for Saturday, January 31st. AP responded, citing that the party’s internal election regulation does not allow ballot boxes.
Ikram also outlined other reasons behind his decision to boycott the election in the press statement. In this regard, he emphasized the refusal to place ballot boxes despite repeated appeals, effectively infringing the right of party members to freely vote for a candidate of their choice.
He also noted that the party’s secretariat had refused his request to view and verify the list of members eligible to vote in his capacity as one of the candidates contesting the election.
Ikram further accused the party’s secretariat of violating party regulations by appointing preferred members to branches and constituencies for the upcoming term without holding elections. In this regard, he alleged that individuals who failed to meet eligibility criteria, along with some who had not consented to run for office, were appointed as branch and constituency presidents.
Ikram pointed out that the party’s previous online presidential election was criticized by grassroots members over alleged fraud and vote rigging. He detailed that an investigation by ICT professionals identified vulnerabilities in the customized mobile app previously used for voting, which could allow interference in the process.
However, AP has stated the upcoming election will use the “Fahi Vote” system, describing it as a trusted platform used by various institutions nationwide.
Moreover, Ikram emphasized that after receiving complaints about “undemocratic” practices in AP’s election, the Election Commission (EC) instructed the party to conduct the election according to democratic principles and to protect the rights of all candidates.
Ikram slammed AP for blatantly violating the electoral body’s instructions, citing that he has withdrawn his candidacy due to the aforementioned reasons.