Court orders 2-month postponement to Council Election

Civil Court has granted Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) its request for a two-month postponement to the upcoming Local Council Election.

PPM filed the lawsuit requesting a two-month postponement to the election citing “unavoidable circumstances” which rendered the party unable to prepare for the election in time for January 14.

Civil Court issued its verdict this Thursday granting PPM its request for the postponement.

It said the loss to PPM if the election was held as scheduled was considerable higher than the loss to Elections Commission if the election is postponed.

Civil Court said that though EC claimed a postponement will result in a loss, it had failed to elaborate of the specifics of the loss it will suffer.

It said the loss from an election the most populous political party cannot participate in, and the resultant damage to the State weighed more heavily than the loss to EC.

It said the decision served the greater good.

The Civil Court also said that those who got involved in the trial - Adhaalath Party, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and Leader of PPM – Maumoon Abdul Gayoom had failed to explain the loss which a postponement will lead to.

It said that an all-inclusive election was in line with the spirit of democracy.

“As a postponement will allow all parties time to prepare for the election, the request by those who got involved – not to postpone the election is wrong,” read the verdict.

Civil Court said that there had been cases when previous official elections had been held past the date required by Maldivian Constitution, and that therefore a two-month delay to Local

Council Election did not pose a problem.

The court order means the election will be held in March.

The current term of council members will end in February, 2016. And the law makes it compulsory that council members are elected for a new term before the current term ends.

Civil Court has ruled that the current council members can remain in power until the election is held.