EC appeals postponement of Council Election

Elections Commission (EC) has filed for appeal of the Civil Court order to postpone Local Council Election by two-months.

Member of EC, Ahmed Akram has confirmed that EC filed for appeal on Saturday. EC has not yet received notification whether the file for appeal has been accepted by High Court.

Civil Court accepted the lawsuit by Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) to postpone the Local Council Election – scheduled to be held on January 14 - over “unavoidable circumstances” which rendered the party unable to prepare for the election in time.

PPM filed the lawsuit over missing documents which made them unable to hold a primary to select their candidates for the election.

Civil Court ruled that the loss from an election the most populous political party in the country – PPM -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.

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.