EC to contest court decision over PPM congress with Supreme Court

Elections Commission has made the decision to appeal the ruling issued by High Court, this Thursday, regarding the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM)’s extraordinary congress at the Supreme Court.

High Courted has ruled EC’s decision not to endorse the extraordinary congress held by PPPM on September 28-29 as unlawful.

Member and spokesperson of EC, Ahmed Akram says the commission respects the decision by the High Court, but has decided to appeal the sentence at the Supreme Court in light of some of the commission’s concerns regarding the ruling.

The High Court dismissed EC’s argument the election of the deputy leaders conflicted with two provisions of PPM’s constitution, and ruled the election did not violate the party’s constitution – therefore destroying the basis that the four deputy leaders were elected unlawfully.

The court said EC failed to specify how laws were violated during the votes. And said EC did not check PPM’s register, undermining its argument that non-party members participated in the extraordinary congress and contributed to the voting.

High Court ordered EC to publish the names of the leaders elected during the extraordinary congress on the commission’s website within 24 hours.

PPM’s extraordinary congress voted to elect former Maldivian president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom as its leader, and Asima Shakoor, Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Mohamed Saeed and Moosa Zareer as deputy leaders.