The Supreme Court on Monday commenced the second hearing for the constitutional case filed by President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, seeking to nullify the Presidential Election held September 23.
A few days after the president conceded defeat to the opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih who won the election by a wide margin of 38,000 votes, he and his ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) accused the Elections Commission (EC) of accepting bribes and rigging the polling.
The president filed the case at the apex court, raising several issues regarding the election proceedings, including accusations that printing of ballot papers was awarded to M7 Print Pvt Ltd unlawfully without bid, the use of erasable pens and special rings that could allegedly place checkmarks on ballots at polling stations, and the abrupt shift of the National Complaints Bureau to another location, among other concerns.
EC's lawyer Hussain Shameem had responded to all the accusations in the first hearing held Sunday afternoon, and stated that the case was based on groundless doubts and suspicions without any evidence.
Election case at top court based on groundless suspicions: EC
The Edition
The president's legal team, comprising of former High Court judge Abbas Shareef and Mohamed Saleem (Reynis), also requested to put forward secret witnesses to testify in the case. While the lawyers of the opposition coalition, which has been allowed to intervene in the case, voiced concern over the request, the Supreme Court stated that its full bench will debate and reach a decision regarding the witnesses. Their decision is expected to be announced during the second hearing Monday.
10:30
Lawyers, media representatives and authorised civilians have entered the Supreme Court for the second hearing. Supporters of the opposition coalition are gathered in the street round the corner of the nearby Universal Building. Police have put up barricades preventing them from approaching the court.
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