High Court rejects case calling to reopen applications for LCE

The High Court of the Maldives has rejected a case requesting to reopen for applications to contest in the Local Council Elections and Women’s Development Committee elections. 

The elections were postponed due to the COVID-19 situation. A special law passed to facilitate the postponement read that the candidate list to contest in the election was to remain the same as the one announced by the Elections Commission on March 6, 2020, despite the delay in elections.

Mohamed Thasleem from Manila, Th. Kandoodhoo lodged the case with the court stating that the provision in the law prevented anyone turning 18 afterward, from contesting the election which was a fundamental right granted under the Constitution. 

Thasleem had argued that over 5,000 people would turn 1q8 during the delayed period for the election. The Judges Bench presiding over the case, however, today ruled that the case could not be heard in the court since it did not fall under the legal jurisdiction of the court which permits it to hear cases of constitutional issues. 

The High Court verdict on the matter states that such cases are to be submitted to the Supreme Court and was very much connected with the public interest.

The Judges bench presiding over the include Senior Justice of the High Court Hathif Hilmy, Justice Shuaib Hussain Zakariya, Justice Hassan Shafeeu, Justice Hussain Mazeed, and Justice Fathimath Faruheeza.