PPM election case tabled for Tuesday

Supreme Court has scheduled the election case filed by the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) for 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 8th October 2013.

In the case filed on the 25th September, PPM asked the court for an order upon the Elections Commission (EC), to ensure the safety of the ballot papers from the point of printing to being transported to, and from the voting stations during polling day.

The party has also asked the court to order the EC to allow a two week period prior to the polling day for voters to file complaints regarding the voters’ list.

A third motion by the party includes a request for an order to make it mandatory to have all presidential candidates’ names, signatures and fingerprints on the final voters’ list.

During the last hearing for the case on 26th September, PPM lawyer Ahmed Zaneen Adam told the court that names of minors (below 18) were included in the voters’ list, by changing their date of births.

He said that this was done to confer undue advantage on a particular group of people and further accused the Elections Commission of having violated the guidelines included in the court ruling on the case filed by PPM ahead of the presidential election.

Lawyer representing the EC told the court that the law already stipulates dates requiring the Commission to fulfill certain conditions before the election day.

EC also filed a counter motion asking the court to declare that the orders requested by PPM cannot be issued under the current laws of the State.