The Joint Senate of PPM and PNC are meeting right now to decide on a directive by PPM's leader and former President Abdullah Yameen to boycott the September Presidential elections.
This was confirmed by the Vice President of PPM and MP for Naifaru Constituency Ahmed Shiyam. The Joint Senate is expected to vote on the matter at the meeting today.
This comes after the Supreme Court ruled against the former President, who is serving an 11-year jail sentence after he filed a case at the country's top court following the Election Commission's rejection of his candidacy.
Supreme Court ruled that Yameen failed to pay a fine of USD 5 million as part of his verdict from the Criminal Court within the 6 months given and that this now constitutes an undischarged decreed debt.
As per the Constitution, an individual who applies for Presidential Candidacy must not have an undischarged decreed debt.
Supreme Court Judge Husnu Sood supported the argument in his own ruling today and said that Yameen was given 6 months to pay the USD 5 million. The Judge said that since Yameen failed to pay the amount in the 6 months, the fine became an undischarged decreed debt and that notices from Maldives Inland Revenu Authority showed that the ex-President failed to pay the fine within the given period.
He added that the rejection of Yameen's candidacy was hence legitimate.
Then the remaining 6 judges on the bench supported Judge Sood's ruling and ruled that the former President cannot compete in the elections.
