Seats deemed as vacated - preparations underway for by-elections

Elections Commission has decided that four MPs have lost their seat at the parliament and decided to hold by-elections in their respective constituencies.

The decision was announced in a press statement issued by the Elections Commission tonight.

The statement said that the Supreme Court has ruling tonight has not overruled Commission's decision to hold by-elections in four constituencies and so, according to the law of parliament elections, the Commission has decided to hold by-elections for the vacated constituencies.

An official from the Elections Commission told Sun Media that by-election will be held in six constituencies. The official said that the MP for south Mahchangolhi constituency, Abdulla Shinan and the MP for Dhangethi constituency, Il'ham Ahmed are among the MPs that lost their seat at the parliament and so by-elections would be held in those constituencies as well.

Elections Commission has decided that the MP for Villingili constituency, Saud Hussan, MP for Thulushdhoo constituency, Mohamed Waheed Ibrahim (Lawyer Wadde), Maduvvari constituency, Mohamed Ameeth Ahmed Manik and the MP for Dhihdhoo constituency, Abdul Latheef Mohamed has lost their seat at the parliament.

But the attorneys of those MPs said tonight that Supreme Court ruling did not state that their clients lost the parliamentarian seat. And the Court not voiding the article of the Law of Political Parties which state that MPs won't lose the seat at the parliament for changing political parties, despite the motion from the state, supports that the MPs did not lose their seat with the Supreme Court ruling.

The Supreme Court ruling said that their ruling on 13 July 2017 is clear on the matter of switching political parties by MPs in office.

The ruling tonight did not clear whether any MP lost their seat or not.