The full bench of seven judges at the hearing sided with the sentencing that was passed by EC which states that Yameen cannot compete in the upcoming election due to Article 109 of the constitution.
With the upcoming election of the Maldives just a month away, one of the political parties of the Maldives is still determining who their candidate will be. Following the verdict that was announced on 6th August 2023 regarding the eligibility of the former President and the leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), it has become clear that the political party needs to make a quick decision as to who will represent PPM and their values in the upcoming Presidential election.
This hearing by the Supreme Court of the Maldives was long-awaited, following the Election Commission (EC) of the Maldives rejecting Yameen’s candidacy citing Article 109 of the Maldivian constitution which states that any candidate who is running for Presidency must not have a criminal sentencing which exceeds 12 months and if any sentence was served three years must have passed since the release or pardon. With this Article, Yameen’s candidacy was already in question as the former President was sentenced to 11 years in prison following charges of money laundering and bribery.
And while the followers and supporters of PPM were extremely eager to hear a positive sentencing in today’s Supreme Court hearing, the full bench of seven judges at the hearing sided with the sentencing that was passed by EC which states that Yameen cannot compete in the upcoming election due to Article 109 of the constitution. With this, we are yet to hear about a possible new candidate from PPM for the upcoming election.
