MSLP files lawsuit against KD

20 November 2007
Report: Jaxu

Maldives Social Liberal Party has filed a lawsuit against the Registrar of Political Parties as well as the Commissioner of Elections K.D Ahmed Manik. Liberal Party claims that the Registrar has violated the regulations on the registrations of political parties by obstructing the registration of that party. Liberal party has filed the lawsuit at high court.

Speaking at a news conference held by the party, Ibrahim Ismail, Ibra, President of the Liberal Party said that the documentation necessary for the registration along with 3000 signatures have been submitted. However Ibra said the Registrar has informed that some forms are not valid as the names mentioned in these forms are already registered as members of another political party. Ibra further said KD Ahmed Manik has informed the party to provide copies of Identity Cards of these persons.

“Regulations on the political parties does not say that ID cards has to be submitted, there is a constitutional conflict between the members of the Liberal Party and the Registrar of the Political Parties, Registrar after going through the documentation have replied that it does not fulfill the pre requisites as such the forms cannot be taken as valid, Registrar have now asked us to provide ID of those members in doubt, but the regulation does require the submission of ID cards” said Ibra.

MP for Male’ Ibrahim Ismail, said that he has asked the Registrar of Political Parties to remove those names that are in doubt from the lists other political parties and include them in the register of the Liberal Party.

“A person may be registered under another party, but the day he sign the form to become member of this party, he has automatically agreed to become a member of this party, the forms has statement to that effect, even then the Registrar is saying these people belong to another party, this is unacceptable” said Ibra.

Ibra on the issue of providing ID cards told that he wrote a letter to Attorney General’s Office and that reply was sent to the Registrar’s Office.


“We got a copy the letter too, the letter clearly states that ID cards is not required to be submitted, once a person signs the form to become a member of the party then he has agreed to become a member of that party there is no regulation that say otherwise, but the registrar says the forms are not valid, the deadline to complete formalities for the registration expires in January” said Ibra.