Male’, Maldives — The Supreme Court of Maldives has finally decided to hold a hearing for a case that was presented to the court o March 13, 2013 to dismiss a bill that states that parties without a certain amount of members will not be considered acceptable.
This case was filed to the court by lawyer, Imad Solih stated that while a large amount of political parties were created and registered under the political party rule established in 2005, which leads to parties registering with low membership numbers and continuing financial transactions, establishing party offices and gaining government allowances. Without proper guidelines in place, when the parties are dissolved, the accounts are frozen which the case filed considers an infringement on the rights of the citizens.
Imad has also noted that this is completely against the article 22, 25 and 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that Maldives is a part of along with also being against article 2, 19 and 21 of International Covenant on Civil and Politics Rights.
Presented to the Supreme Court approximately eight years ago, Imad had also requested for an emergency order for this issue. This was to not dismiss any of the parties that came into existence when the political party rule was established in 2005. However, no verdict was given regarding the issue on for the past eight years.
With the complete change in the judge present at the Supreme Court, they have come to a decision to finally finish this incomplete case.
In today’s hearing, lawyer Imad Solih argued the case saying that creating a political party is the right of every citizen and this right has been snatched from the citizens when political parties were terminated due to inability to reach minimum membership numbers.
The Attorney General’s office however returned that it is common practice for political parties to earn a specific number of signatures to be registered in democracies of the world and this number is dictated by population percentage.
The next hearing will be for verdict unless another issue is presented regarding the case.
This case was overseen of by Chief Justice, Ahmed Muthasim Adnan and Justice, Dr. Azmiralda Zahir along with Justice, Aisha Shujoon Mohamed, Justice, Mahaaz Ali Zahid and Justice, Ali Rasheed Hussain.
