Supreme Court accepts case challenging referendum on concurrent elections

The Supreme Court of the Maldives has accepted a constitutional case seeking to halt a referendum on holding presidential and parliamentary elections at the same time.

The referendum is scheduled to take place alongside local council elections on 4 April. It asks whether the President should ratify the Bill on the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, passed by the People’s Majlis, to allow the simultaneous conduct of presidential and parliamentary elections and to determine the term of the People’s Majlis.

The case was filed by lawyers Ahmed Aik Easa and Ibrahim Shiyam, members of the Maldivian Democratic Party’s legal team. The petition seeks a ruling declaring the referendum question unconstitutional.

In a document signed by Supreme Court Registrar Raufa Haidhar, the court confirmed that the case had been submitted in line with its regulations and accepted for consideration.

The petition states that a referendum question must seek public consent on the proposed constitutional amendment, including whether voters agree to a change in the term of the current parliament.

It further states that the question outlined in the presidential decree and the announcement by the Elections Commission does not include these elements.

The petition also argues that the Bill on the Eighth Amendment includes matters outside the scope of Article 262 of the Constitution.

In a separate development, lawyer and former Member of Parliament Ali Hussain has filed a case seeking to invalidate the bill, stating that the timeframe for presidential ratification has expired. The Supreme Court has not yet decided whether to accept that case.