The start date for presidential candidates to submit their applications has been delayed by more than a week, the head of the Elections Commission said Thursday. The announcement was made by Ahmed Shareef in a press conference. “The commission first announced that applications would be open on 15 (July). We had some differences of opinion in the commission but we have now decided that the date for applications is 23 July,” he told reporters. Shareef said the wait was because the term for President Abdulla Yameen expires on 17 November due to the delays in the 2013 election.
The EC had to consult the Attorney General’s Office about when the presidential term would end after the commission could not reach an agreement.
The law states that applications for candidates must be opened within ten days of the last 120 days of the president’s term. Yameen began his five-year term on 17 November 2013 after the Supreme Court delayed the election.
Full Article: Maldives electoral body delays presidential candidate applications – Maldives Independent.
