President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has ratified the Sixth Amendment Bill to the Local Council Elections Act and the Fourth Amendment Bill to the Elections (General) Act.
The Sixth Amendment to the Local Council Elections Act stipulates that the Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) must formally notify individual applicants of their candidature acceptance status in writing within five days of the application’s submission. It also outlines procedures for disputing the decision on applicants’ eligibility and stipulates that individuals wishing to challenge the decision of the ECM in court must wait until the five days granted to the commission to communicate its judgement regarding the acceptance of the application have elapsed.
The Fourth Amendment to the Elections (General) Act adds a clause to Section 65 of the Elections (General) Act, defining the time frame for appealing any High Court ruling under the Act at the Supreme Court. It also stipulates the maximum duration for the Supreme Court to issue a ruling on an appeal.
Additionally, the amendment modifies Section 73(a) of the legislation, requiring all candidates to submit a comprehensive financial statement to the Elections Commission (EC) within one month of the voting date. The financial report, which must include information mandated by law, must be audited by an authorised institution.