Electoral Watchdog, the Elections Commission has clarified questions on whether Civil Servants who wish to contest in Elections must resign from their posts 6 months before the polls.
The Commission had last night reminded the public that 11 years ago the High Court revoked the Article in the Regulations that state that Civil Servants must resign from their posts 6 months before the elections.
The High Court ruling states that the 6 months resignation condition noted in the Civil Servants Law can be overridden for Civil Servants to exercise their right to compete in elections.
The High Court said that the hurdle of resigning from their posts is unacceptable and revoked the article as per the constitution.
Vice Preside of the Elections Commission Ismail Habeeb said that the Constitution states a Civil Servant who wishes to compete in a general election must resign from his/her post 6 months before the elections and that Civil Service law states that a public employee who has not resigned from the post before competing for the election is automatically terminated from his/her job.
Habeeb said that the High Court has afforded a remedy for these predicaments.
He further said that Civil Servants who compete in the Parliamentary Elections won't have the opportunity to return to his/her posts if they do not win the election unlike in the Local Council Elections.
Habeeb said that the Elections Commission would not verify whether an individual is in a civil Service post or not but Civil Service would make sure that the Civil Servants abide by the Laws and regulations of the Service.
