The fate of the first round of presidential elections in the Maldives, won by former President Mohamed Nasheed, would be decided by a full bench of the Supreme Court which started hearing the matter, media reports said here. A full bench of seven judges has admitted the plea of the Jumhooree Party seeking annulment of presidential elections and conducted its first hearing yesterday. The hearing will continue today, local media said. The Jumhooree Party (JP) whose candidate Gasim Ibrahim missed the second round, scheduled on September 28, by a whisker has alleged irregularities in the voters’ list and requested the apex court to annul first round of elections. Business tycoon Ibrahim’s running mate and former Attorney General Hassan Saeed alleged that voters’ list included bogus voters, repetition of names and inclusion of dead voters in the list.
He was joined by close aide of President Mohamed Waheed, Attorney General Azima Shukoor and also lawyers of Progressive Party of Maldives whose candidate Abdullah Gayoon, being runner-up, would face Nasheed in the second round.
Waheed stood last in the first round with just over five per cent of the total votes, on September 7.
Saeed was quoted by ‘Minivan News’ as saying that besides annulment of elections, JP requested involvement of security services in overseeing entire electoral process and cancellation of second round scheduled on September 28.
Full Article: Fate of Maldives presidential polls to be decided by Supreme Court – The Economic Times.
