DRP takes legal action to stop by-election in Thulhaadhoo

Divehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), major opposition in the country, decides to seek court order to postpone by-election announced by the Elections Commission to elect a new Councilor who will replace the dismissed Umaira Abu Bakr.

Umaira, the only DRP member in B. Thulhaadhoo Island Council, was dismissed after a decision made by the other four members in Council, all from the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). The Council claimed that the decision was made in consultation with the Local Government Authority, although the Authority denies this. The Atoll Council for B. Atoll has said that they saw this decision as inappropriately taken, and that they were looking into the matter.

The reason given for Umaira’s dismissal on the 3rd of this month was that she had been absent without a proper reason for 10 consecutive meetings of the Council. However, she continued to attend office, and then the Elections Commission of the Maldives announced a by-election yesterday to elect a new councilor in place of Umaira. According to the announcement, the by-election shall be conducted on the 20th of coming August.

Rozaina Adam, Member of People’s Majlis for Thulusdhoo Constituency and a senior official from DRP told today that the case would be filed at court in two or three days. She said that the most important purpose of filing this case is to hold the by-election off until the court decides on the matter of Umaira’s dismissal.

“Dismissing Umaira from the Council was a deliberated and calculated move. We are going to the court to seek justice, and our main aim is to delay the by-election until the court pronounces its judgment on the issue of dismissal. We shall fill the forms, complete the requirements as to documentation, and register the case at court in two or three days”, said Rozaina.

Meanwhile, Fuad Taufeeq, President of the Elections Commission had said earlier that “only a court of law could postpone the by-election” and that “the legal duty of the Elections Commission is to hold a by-election in case any seat in a local council goes vacant”. Responding to the statements of Fuad, Rozaina said that in a situation where the Local Government Authority denied the dismissal to have been directed by them, and the Atoll Council overseeing Thulhaadhoo Island Council expressing their concern over the dismissal, it was extremely irresponsible for the Elections Commission to go ahead with the by-election as if none of these problems existed.

“If this becomes a precedent, what will happen in the future is that any Council would just request a by-election and the Elections Commission should go ahead with it. I think we are bound to have many such by-elections in the future. This is a serious concern for us. The Elections Commissions should have known that there are issues here, and they should have first gone to Court to find a solution before announcing a by-election”, Rozaina said.