HC dismisses motion to increase electoral districts of Addu City

High Court has dismissed the motion filed by a pair of attorneys to increase the electoral districts in Addu City over failure to appear at court.

The motion was filed by former Attorney General and Chair of Commission on Investigation of Murders and Enforced Disappearances, Husnu Al-Suood; and former Attorney at the Attorney General’s Office, Mariyam Shunana.

Shunana had attended the last court hearing held in the case, but neither Shunana nor Suood showed up for the court hearing this Thursday.

The attorneys had filed the motion claiming Elections Commission had been unfair in its determination of electoral districts for Addu City.

They asked the court to overturn the commission’s decision to combine Maradhoo-Feydhoo and Meedhoo constituencies, determine Maradhoo-Feydhoo and Meedhoo as separate electoral districts, and issue an injunction to delay the upcoming parliamentary elections for Addu City pending resolution of the case.

The Elections Commissions had held multiple meetings with constituents from Maradhoo-Feydhoo, during which the locals requested the region to be determined a separate electoral district, but commission, in the end, decided to maintain the status quo and keep the Maradhoo-Feydhoo and Meedhoo combined as a single electoral district.

EC increased the electoral districts of only Male’ City; determining Hulhumale’ as a separate electoral district and adding the West Henveyru district.