The High Court decided today that it cannot accept the constitutional case filed to stop the public referendum scheduled for this coming Saturday regarding the holding of the Presidential Election and the People's Majlis Election on the same day.

Lawyer Mariyam Shunana filed the case in High Court to stop the referendum on holding the Presidential and Majlis elections on the same day, requesting an order to stop the election and to prevent any changes to the term of the Majlis. This was based on the grounds that neither the referendum question nor the bill passed to amend the Constitution included an amendment to change the term of the Majlis, and because there had not been adequate opportunity to increase awareness and campaign for the vote.

However, the decision made by the High Court Registrar today stated that the court can only examine cases as constitutional matters if a law or regulation, or a part of it, is submitted for contradicting the Constitution or a law.

The decision noted that since Shunana’s case was based on the Presidential Decree issued by the President regarding the referendum, the court had previously decided that cases involving such decrees cannot be examined as constitutional matters.

Therefore, the High Court’s decision stated that the case could not be accepted.

While the decision not to accept this case was made, other lawyers also submitted a case to the Supreme Court to stop the referendum. However, that court ruled last Tuesday that there are no legal grounds to stop the vote.