Mauroof: President’s decree fails to justify proposed changes to parliamentary term
The Civil Court has rejected a lawsuit filed by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) seeking to invalidate a presidential decree calling for a referendum on consolidating elections. MDP Legal Director Ahmed Mauroof stated that the legal challenge was based on the decree's failure to provide a justification for shortening the current parliamentary term.
Ahmed Mauroof, Legal Director of the MDP. | RaajjeMV | Raajje MV
Ahmed Mauroof, the Legal Director of the MDP, has stated that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s decree lacks any valid justification for altering the parliamentary term.
Speaking on RaajjeTV’s "Noonekey" program, Mauroof stated that the Civil Court has decided not to accept the case filed by the MDP. He explained that the entire lawsuit was predicated on the argument that the resolution lacked the necessary legal requirements.
According to Mauroof, the resolution issued by the President solely outlines the arguments in favor of holding both elections on the same day.
However, noting that the referendum is required because the proposed changes would shorten the parliamentary term, Mauroof stated that the resolution fails to provide any justification regarding this matter.
While there are arguments in favor of synchronizing the two elections, the necessity for a referendum arises due to the proposed changes to the parliamentary term. However, the resolution fails to present compelling justifications for the requirement to shorten the duration of the People’s Majlis.Ahmed Mauroof, Legal Director of the MDP
The Civil Court has rejected a lawsuit filed by the MDP seeking to nullify the presidential decree issued to hold a referendum on consolidating two elections. The court’s decision follows the party's fifth attempt to submit an amended claim form. The court cited the MDP's failure to specify the prior actions taken by the party to resolve the matter independently as the reason for the rejection.
Mauroof stated that this was an excuse the court had failed to raise even after being instructed to amend the form four times previously. He further noted that once a Presidential Decree is issued, there is no institution to which a complaint can be lodged, nor is there any legal avenue available to seek a resolution.
Furthermore, Mauroof stated that when the MDP filed the case, the court acted in accordance with the government's wishes by deliberately wasting time.
