The Civil Court has scheduled the case filed by main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) against the Elections Commission (EC), over abolishing MDP's initial candidacy list for the Local Council Elections, for Tuesday.
Initially 900 candidates had applied to take part in the local elections while it was scheduled for January 14. However, as the Civil Court had ordered to delay the election by two months, EC had eventually announced that all candidates should reapply for the election, now scheduled for April 8.
MDP declared that EC abolished the list in violation of the Elections Act and the Civil Court’s decision to delay the election by two months. Though the EC had previously accepted MDP’s candidacy list, EC has reopened applications for candidates after announcing the new election date, annulling the initial list of candidates submitted for the elections originally scheduled for January.
MDP has also requested the High Court for a temporary order to enact the initial candidacy list until the end of trial.
The Local Council Elections was delayed by the Civil Court after ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) sought to postpone, saying that recent internal political conflicts within the party had hindered its preparations for the elections.
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