Supreme Court orders acceptance of Suzan’s candidacy
The Supreme Court has overturned the Elections Commission's decision to reject Susan's candidacy over an alleged debt, with a unanimous three-judge ruling stating that the Ministry of Finance's failure to initiate enforcement proceedings or maintain proper records does not constitute legal grounds to claim the debt remains unpaid.
Fathimath Susan of K. Thulusdhoo: The Elections Commission had previously decided to reject Susan's candidacy, citing her failure to meet the eligibility requirements. | Social Media | Social Media
The Supreme Court has ordered the Elections Commission to accept the candidacy of Fathimath Suzan, an independent candidate who applied to contest for the female member seat on the K. Thulusdhoo Island Council in the local council elections.
The Supreme Court has issued a unanimous ruling by a three-judge bench overturning the Elections Commission's decision to reject Susan's candidacy. The court ordered the commission to accept her bid for office after it had previously declared her ineligible.
Fathimath Susan, of Lakusavee in Kaafu Atoll Thulusdhoo, has filed a case with the Supreme Court regarding the Local Council Elections scheduled for April 4th. The legal challenge follows the Elections Commission's decision to reject her candidacy.
The Elections Commission rejected Susan's candidacy due to an outstanding debt issue. It was noted that although the Thulusdhoo Court had ordered Susan to settle a debt, the Supreme Court highlighted that the Ministry of Finance and Planning held no record of the payment.
The unanimous ruling by the three-judge bench stated that while the Ministry of Finance is responsible for maintaining records and filing enforcement cases to recover debts, their failure to do so does not constitute grounds to assume the debt remains unpaid. Consequently, the Supreme Court ruled that Suzan meets the eligibility criteria to contest the election.
The case was presided over by a three-judge bench comprising Judge Abdulla Hameed, Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, and Judge Ali Rasheed Hussain.
Following this ruling, Suzan will be eligible to contest as an independent candidate for the Thulusdhoo Island Council’s dedicated female seat in the upcoming local council elections, scheduled for April 4.
