EC contempt case hearing postponed

Supreme Court has re-scheduled the hearing of the contempt case against the Elections Commission (EC) to 4:00 p.m. today. The case was originally scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

In a suo motu case taken up by the court itself, Supreme Court has accused the Elections Commission of being in contempt of the court for speaking against the court’s rulings in press conferences and public hearings.

The court has also accused EC of being in violation for Article 145 (c) of the constitution for challenging a Supreme Court order to not dissolve political parties with less than 10,000 members. Article 145 (c) states that the Supreme Court shall be the final authority on the interpretation of the Constitution and the law.

During the last hearing of the contempt case held on Wednesday, President of the Elections Commission Fuad Thaufeeq confessed to having told a parliamentary committee that the commission can proceed with parliamentary election without the candidates’ endorsement of the voters' lists.

Fuad also agreed to having told the committee that the Supreme Court’s current proceedings into matters of the Elections Commission are unconstitutional.

Endorsing the voters’ list is not optional, Judge Ahmed Abdulla Didi said, and the Elections Commission must fulfill all conditions provided for by the Supreme Court in its guideline issued for the presidential elections last year, ordered the judge.

Addressing members of the Elections Commission during Wednesday’s hearing, Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz Hussain said that it is against the law to speak of a on ongoing judicial case outside the courtroom and reminded that the Supreme Court has once issued a ruling that the parliament does not have the prerogative to discuss ongoing judicial cases.

Members of the Elections Commission have been summoned to the court for three hearings of the contempt case thus far.