The Elections Commission (EC) has said it will continue with preparations for the second round of presidential elections – scheduled for September 28 – and has stressed the supremacy of the constitution following conflicting orders by the Majlis and Supreme Court on a polling date.
The Majlis passed a resolution yesterday during a heated session, ordering the Elections Commission to proceed with polls as planned, as the Jumhooree Party (JP) seeks to annul the vote at the Supreme Court.
The apex court at 9:00 pm last night issued an order indefinitely postponing the run-off until it issues a verdict.
“We have not stopped any of our preparations,” President of the Elections Commissioner Fuwad Thowfeek told the press today. He then held up the constitution, saying “The main document we must follow is the constitution. The Constitution along with the election laws and regulations states how and when to hold elections.”
Vice President Ahmed Fayaz declined to comment on which order the EC would follow, saying the commission was in discussions with the Supreme Court, Majlis, and the President’s Office on a polling date.
Fayaz also stressed the supremacy of the constitution saying, “The Supreme Court, the presidency, Majlis, state institutions – all exist through the constitution and therefore cannot act against the constitution.”
“We may receive an order to proceed with polls, we cannot throw up our hands and go to sleep. We have to be ready at any point,” Fayaz added.
Fayaz pointed to a Supreme Court ruling at 8:00 pm on February 4, 2011, in which it had ordered the EC to proceed with local council elections in Addu City the next day. At the time, the Civil Court had ordered the EC to halt polls over a dispute to provide city status to Addu Atoll.
Delaying polls would be “logistically near-impossible,” Fayaz said. Polling booths are set up in school buildings throughout the country, he explained, but schools would not be available for polling between October 5 and late November as secondary school students sit for the GCSE O’Level exams.
The court ruling to delay polls was signed by four of the seven Supreme Court Judges – Justice Abdulla Saeed, Justice Ali Hameed, Justice Adam Mohamed Abdulla, and Justice Dr Abdulla Didi.
“Based on Article 144 (b), we order the Elections Commission and other relevant state institutions to delay the second round of the presidential election scheduled for 28 September 2013 until the Supreme Court issues a verdict in this case,” the injunction read.
The EC maintains that the JP’s allegations of electoral fraud are unsubstantiated and, even if proven, would still be insufficient to affect the outcome of the first round election results.
Meanwhile, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) – whose candidate Mohamed Nasheed polled first on September 7 – have taken to the streets in protest, having previously made clear that it would not allow a Supreme Court bench “consisting of disgraced judges accused of lewd conduct” to “abrogate the will of the people.”
Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed has been implicated in a series of sex videos, but the judicial oversight body Judicial Services Commission (JSC) decided not to suspend the judge – against the advice of a subcommittee it set up to investigate the matter.
The JP’s presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim was a member of the JSC at the time of this decision.
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We don't need a President or a Majlis. All we need are An Army, Police and Supreme Court and put them under obligation to the tycoons of the country namely Champagne, Universal and Qasim Ibrahim. Supreme Court will serve faithfully to their old master Maumoon and new masters faithfully and to the hell with the lousy constitution.
keep going EC..and f***K the judges!
What has happened here is that those who lead and organized the February 7th coup didn't get what they wanted. They had all hoped to dupe the Maldivian people and legitimize their illegitimate power grab.
You can clearly see that the "Supreme Court" is not an institution by itself (the entire bench represents that institution). The four rogue elements within are jeopardising the whole country and not just the integrity of the Supreme Court.
its very obvious that Nasheed will win. Thats why all other buggers r having cold feet. The world is watching! Very carefully.
This is the crime of he century by Gasim and judges. Disgusting!
The Elections Commission has to fulfill its legal obligations. An illegal declaration by the Gang of Four in the Supreme Court including the fornicator Ali Hameed is just that, i.e. illegal. Let them release verdict after verdict.
The Constitution is quite clear and precise on what's supposed to happen now. Four men cannot stand in the way of 200,000 people wishing to elect their future leader.
Parliamnet resolution is illegal and it was done against our constitution by MDP thugs in the parliament.
Supreme court has the right to intervene since MDP had rigged the votes in broad light.
Second round election should only happened after clearing all those accusation and after rectifying all the issues and not before that.
Nasheed is a threat to this country and he will only do harm to this small state and will never do any good .
Calling tourism employees to stop thier work is calling them to stop the country and bring it to standstill. If this happens, how many peoples job is going to lose if this happen?
Nasheed and his thugs have stolen enough money during 3 years in power and people who will suffer will be those innocent people.
MDP majlis members do not use foul language like Ppm members. What a good example of dheenahtakaa and qaumah takaa. Even Yamin did not stop him. It shows the level they would go to get attention. Cheap!
A resolution of Parliament does not have the force of law yet it does represent the will of the people.
An interim order of any court and the Supreme Court in particular can stay any process and therefore holds precedence over a resolution of Parliament especially in a system such as ours where Parliament is not sovereign.
The last say on interpreting the Constitution also lies with the Supreme Court.
That is of course, granted that our system still functions and has the confidence of the people whose will birthed the system in the first place. What we see before us is a political dispute that threatens to tear apart the system so much of us had hope in.