SC to issue verdict in PPM congress dispute on Wednesday

The Supreme Court will issue its verdict in the Elections Commission appeal of the High Court decision to uphold the Progressive Party of Maldives’ (PPM) congress, on Wednesday.

The sentencing hearings has been scheduled for 12:45pm. The High Court ruled in November that the commission’s rejection of the party congress was unlawful.

The congress was held in September, following former president Abdulla Yameen’s loss at the ballot box. The court ordered the commission to accept the congress within 24 hours, which it did before appealing the verdict.

After the commission declared the congress void, members elected to senior party positions at the congress had lost their positions. The High Court's ruling on Thursday returns them to their posts.

A case seeking to have the commission endorse the congress was filed by the party. At the proceedings, the commission’s legal representatives noted discrepancies in the congress’ voting process.

The commission said that while voting should have been carried out at a polling booth, a vote box was taken to individual members.

Further, they said that members not in the party’s roster had also participated in the congress and that information was missing from the meetings’ official minutes.

After Thursday’s ruling, commission chief Ahmed Shareef said that while their concerns remain, they will respect the ruling of the court.

The party has been divided since 2016, after a falling out between founder Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Yameen, his half-brother.

The Civil Court issued an order that year that officially made Yameen custodian of the party and allows him to hold congress and preside over party meetings