In a rather dramatic turn of events that could have significant implications for the integrity of the Maldivian Presidential Election, allegations of a massive data breach have surfaced. A former deputy minister has come forward with startling claims that personal and medical data of all citizens, derived from databases such as e-faas, Gedhoru Veriyaa, Aasandha, and COVID records, were illicitly accessed and shared with the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in the run-up to the election.
These allegations, if proven true, could raise serious concerns about data privacy and election fairness in the Maldives. The data breach appears to be on an unprecedented scale, involving highly sensitive personal and medical information of the entire citizenry.
According to sources, the former deputy minister, whose identity remains undisclosed, has detailed how this data breach was orchestrated with the alleged intention of aiding the MDP in the presidential campaign. Such a breach could potentially provide MDP, which has faced a closely contested election, with a substantial advantage.
However, the most alarming aspect of this revelation is the alleged response of the authorities to these accusations. It has been reported that Minister of Environment, Climate Change, and Technology, Shauna Aminath, was made aware of the issue. Surprisingly, instead of initiating a thorough investigation into the data breach itself, an investigation was purportedly launched to identify the whistleblower.
These allegations were brought to light by none other than Mohamed Basheer, the President of the Noonu Atoll Council and a member of The Democrats. Basheer has taken to Twitter to share these explosive claims with the public, expressing his deep concern over the alleged breach of citizens’ privacy and data security.
With today’s preliminary election results revealing that the MDP and current President Solih have trailed Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, the race has taken an unexpected turn. As the nation eagerly anticipates the upcoming runoff election, the shadow of this alleged data breach looms large over the political landscape.
