Supreme Court to deliver ruling on referendum petition on Tuesday
The court has summoned the petitioners to attend the hearing at 12:45pm on Tuesday, when the judgment is scheduled to be delivered.
The Supreme Court has scheduled a ruling for Tuesday on a petition seeking to halt a referendum on a proposed constitutional amendment.
The amendment relates to shortening the term of the current People’s Majlis and holding presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day.
The case was filed by Ahmed Aik Easa and Ibrahim Shiyam, members of the Maldivian Democratic Party legal team. They argue that the referendum question is not in line with constitutional requirements.
The proposed question asks whether the President should ratify the amendment passed by the Majlis to align the two elections and define how the Majlis term is calculated.
The petitioners contend that the question should directly ask voters whether they agree to shorten the current parliamentary term.
The court has summoned the petitioners to attend the hearing at 12:45pm on Tuesday, when the judgment is scheduled to be delivered.
The case is being heard by a five-member bench comprising Chief Justice Abdul Ghanee Mohamed, Justice Hussain Shaheed, Justice Abdulla Hameed, Justice Ali Rasheed Hussain and Justice Dr Mohamed Ibrahim.
Separately, legal practitioner and former Member of Parliament Ali Hussain filed a case seeking to annul the bill on the basis that the deadline for presidential ratification had expired. The court dismissed the case.
The Registrar stated that Article 264 of the Constitution requires the President to notify the Majlis within 15 days only if assent is withheld.
The Registrar noted that no such decision had been made regarding the bill.
