AG ordered to intervene in Yameen's candidacy case

Supreme Court has ordered Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath to intervene in Abdulla Yameen's candidacy challenge submitted by the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

AG Riffath said that the claimant's party, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), has also intervened in the case. The Supreme Court has scheduled the appeal regarding Abdulla Yameen's candidacy rejection for Friday, August 4 at 3:00 p.m.

PPM submitted Abdulla Yameen's candidacy form to the EC on Sunday, July 30. However, the council rejected Yameen's candidacy application, deeming him constitutionally ineligible to contest in the elections due to his ongoing 11-year jail sentence.

According to Article 109 of the Maldives Constitution, candidates should not have a criminal sentence longer than 12 months, or three years should have elapsed since the candidate’s pardon or release for the sentence.

The former president is currently serving an 11-year jail sentence for his convictions of graft and money laundering in the Vaavu atoll Aarah lease case.

With Yameen's eligibility for the election in question, PPM's coalition partner, People's National Congress (PNC), held a senate meeting on Thursday morning to determine its course of action. During the meeting, PNC members voted in favor of fielding a separate candidate to contest in the presidential election. The party made the decision to fill in the void following EC’s rejection of Yameen’s candidacy.

The Supreme Court is mandated to deliver its judgment within seven days for appeals regarding presidential candidacy issues. Additionally, in such cases, the entire bench of judges of the Supreme Court should preside over the proceedings.