High Court dismisses challenge to eFaas use in council elections
The petition was dismissed on Sunday, the same day the deadline for candidate nominations expired.
The High Court has dismissed a petition challenging the requirement for independent candidates to submit support forms through the eFaas digital identity platform for the upcoming local council elections.
The case was filed on Wednesday by Adam Asif, a senator of the People’s National Front (PNF). The petition was dismissed on Sunday, the same day the deadline for candidate nominations expired.
According to court documents, the case was dismissed by the registrar of the High Court on the grounds that the petition failed to sufficiently explain how the requirement to submit nomination documents and pay administrative fees through eFaas constituted a legal violation, in light of established legal principles.
The petitioner had sought a ruling requiring proof of support from 50 individuals for independent candidates, in addition to challenging the use of eFaas for submitting nomination documents and paying administrative fees.
The Elections Commission has opened nominations for the local council elections, with the nomination process being conducted through an online portal introduced by the commission.
The PNF, led by former president Abdulla Yameen, argued in the petition that eFaas is not accessible to all residents of the Maldives and that requiring its use for nominations is unlawful.
