Speaking to reporters before departing to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage, Nasheed insisted that there were no legal obstacles for running in the elections. “The matter of choosing my running mate has been settled. I’ll have to put down the name of my running mate when I submit my candidacy form,” the former president said without naming his vice president pick. MDP, however, has not planned an event to announce Nasheed’s running mate. High court has postponed until late July the case filed by Nasheed challenging the legitimacy of the Hulhumale court bench due to his pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca. The case challenges the legitimacy of the panel of judges presiding over the case against him for the arbitrary detention of chief criminal judge Abdulla Mohamed. The high court had previously deferred the case until July 7 due to a vacation taken by its chief judge Ahmed Shareef. The Judicial Service Commission (JSC), however, later suspended Shareef as a “precautionary” measure due to an administrative complaint filed against him last year by seven high court judges. His suspension came hours after the court cancelled a hearing into the case filed by Nasheed. A spokesperson from Nasheed’s office said he was granted a request to travel abroad from July 6-25. Nasheed is set to return from the Umrah – a pilgrimage performed by Muslims that can be undertaken at any time of the year – on July 15 or 16, he added. Elections Commission will open applications on July 15 for the presidential election on September 7.