The main Opposition party MDP says if the government delays ratifying the bill postponing the Parliamentary Elections until after Ramadan, then it will file a case against the government at the court.
While the Parliament had passed the bill that delays the election, penned now for the 17th of March (6th day of Ramadan), President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has sent the bill back to the legislative house without ratifying it.
Though it was sent back, the Parliament passed the bill again yesterday without bringing any changes to the text. The bill was passed with the vote from 47 MPs.
Speaking at the press conference today, MDP Spokesperson for its Parliamentary Elections Campaign Ahmed Easa said that the President has no choice in the matter of ratifying bills passed by the parliament and that if the ratification is delayed, MDP would take the issue to court.
Easa added that the bill was passed with the support of the majority of the parliament.
Earlier this week, the President's Office said that President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has invoked Article 91(a) of the Constitution to return the Fifth Amendment Bill to the Elections (General) Act (Act No: 11/2008) to Parliament for reconsideration.
This action follows legal counsel provided by the Attorney General, who identified constitutional discrepancies about electoral conduct and fairness principles. In his letter to the Speaker of Parliament, the President delineated the Attorney General's recommendations accompanying the decision.
Parliament passed this Bill during the fifth session of its first term this calendar year on Sunday, February 12, 2024.
