Case regarding Thasmeen

A case has been filed to Supreme Court by former Thimarafushi MP Mohamed Mustafa, requesting it to declare that the parliamentary seat of Ahmed Thasmeen Ali has become vacant.

Thasmeen Ali is the Leader of Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Running Mate of President Dr Mohamed Waheed for the upcoming presidential election, and also represents Kendhoo constituency in the parliament.

Mustafa lost his seat as Thimarafushi MP after he failed to pay a decreed debt.

Mustafa claimed in the case filed to Supreme Court that a company in which Thasmeen Ali’s family holds shares had failed to repay several loans, and Thasmeen Ali had also failed to repay several loans taken from Dhiggaru MP Ahmed Nazim.

Mustafa said to Sun Online after filing the case to Supreme Court today, ‘Thasmeen’s situation is worse than mine’ in terms of debts.

He said that the Supreme Court ruling against him stated that the Thimarafushi seat had been declared vacant because he failed to repay loans as ordered by the courts, and pointed out that Thasmeen Ali had also failed to repay loans as ordered by the lower courts and the High Court.

“There are no legal grounds to justify that Thasmeen has acted according to the court rulings, and thus, his parliamentary seat is vacant. I believe, based on all legal definitions, that the Kendhoo seat is vacant,” he said.

Article 73 (c) of the Constitution states that a person shall be disqualified from election as a member of parliament, or will become disqualified as a member of parliament if he has a decreed debt which is not being paid as provided in the judgement.

Mustafa referred to Thasmeen Ali being appointed as President Waheed’s running mate and said that Thasmeen does not qualify as a vice president, as a person with a decreed debt cannot contest in the election for the post of vice president.

Article 112 (c) of the Constitution states that the qualifications of office for the vice president shall be the same as those for the president, and Article 109 (e) states that a president shall not have an undischarged decreed debt.