Case filed at High Court to halt referendum on concurrent elections

A case has been filed at the High Court seeking to halt the referendum on holding presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously, as well as to prevent the announcement and implementation of its results.

The case was filed on Monday by lawyer Mariyam Shunana. The court has not yet decided on the admissibility of the case.

The petition seeks an interim order to stop the referendum scheduled for Saturday. It also requests that, if such an order is not granted, the court issue an injunction to prevent the announcement of the results and prohibit any action based on the outcome.

The filing states that only 47 days were provided between the announcement of the referendum and the scheduled date. It argues that this period is insufficient for public awareness and election preparations.

The petition also states that key information, including sample ballot papers, the relevant bill and the Presidential Decree, has not been made available in a centralised format. It cites this as a procedural issue.

It further alleges that the Elections Commission’s decision to hold the referendum on the date set in President Mohamed Muizzu’s decree did not consider the requirements of a fair election and lacked independent assessment.

The referendum has faced multiple legal challenges. The Supreme Court previously dismissed a case seeking to declare the bill on concurrent elections void on the basis that it was not ratified within the required 15-day period.

Another case challenging the constitutionality of the referendum question and seeking to halt the vote was heard at the Supreme Court last week. The court concluded hearings and is scheduled to deliver a ruling Tuesday.

In a separate development, the Maldivian Democratic Party attempted to file a case at the Civil Court to stop the referendum. The court declined to accept the case despite multiple submissions.