COLOMBO: The Maldives opposition has accused President Abdulla Yameen of covering up his attempt to “steal” this month’s elections by denying access to foreign media, reports AFP. The United States, the European Union and others have expressed alarm over the political situation

in the Indian Ocean archipelago. Yameen’s main rivals are either behind bars or in exile. The opposition alliance hoping to unseat him on September 23 said late Wednesday that the government had tightened already stringent visa requirements for foreign journalists wanting to cover the vote.

“The visa measures are a deliberate attempt to restrict foreign journalists from travelling to the Maldives for the election, thus reducing independent scrutiny of the vote and President Yameen’s likely attempts to steal it,” the opposition said. “In this regard, the measures should be viewed as a pre-emptive cover-up of planned electoral fraud,” it said in a statement. Conditions for journalists obtaining visas include naming a local sponsor who will be held responsible for any reporting deemed unacceptable.