Supreme Court forgoes making decision on Political Parties Act
The state had filed to have Political Parties Act’s article sixteen repealed
Signboard at the entrance to the Supreme Court premises in capital city Malé
The Supreme Court has forgone making a decision on the Attorney General’s case to have the Political Parties Act clause that states that elected officials can switch parties without losing their seats in office.
The state had filed to have Political Parties Act’s article 16 – of which the second clause states that party memberships are entirely isolated from elected office and that those that switch parties will not lose their position in office – repealed.
Masha Luthufee, from the Attorney General’s office, said that the state had asked that this clause be repealed on the grounds that it opposes a Supreme Court ruling earlier that banned floor-crossing in parliament.
The court decided that while the Supreme Court had interpreted a clause that bans floor-crossing, it is yet to be enshrined in any statutes. Therefore, the clause in the Political Parties Act does not officially defy any of the Supreme Court verdicts.
The case was filed while the Supreme Court has also been charged with deciding on a case involving the removal of four parliamentarians from their position.
The parliamentarians are challenging the Elections Commission claim that they have lost their seats in parliaments and subsequently announced by-elections for their constituencies.
