All hearings have concluded on the motion filed, by presidential candidate of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) incumbent President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, to annul the presidential election.
At today's hearing the Supreme Court decided not to accept discreet testimonies by witnesses of the prosecution. All five judges of the Supreme Court bench coincided there are no legal grounds through which the testimonies of the witnesses needed to be taken into consideration.
Commencing the final hearing, Chief Justice Ahmed Abdulla Didi made a statement to that effect, after which all parties were asked to present closing arguments. Delivering his closing argument, lead attorney of PPM Abbas Shareef maintained the 2018 Presidential Election was carried out in contravention of the Supreme Court guidelines issued in 2013. He appealed the Supreme Court to order a supervised probe into the concerns raised in the motion and to see if 11 issues can be identified including; to verify if a chemical was used on 5 to 30 percent of ballot papers; if checkmarks on any ballot paper was computer generated and if disappearing ink was used.
PPM also asked the bench to clarify if the envelopes used by elections officials were opened or closed illegally, to check the security features on ballot papers and to see if any ballot papers had two checkmarks on them.
In his closing argument, attorney for the Elections Commission Hussein Shameem said details presented by the prosecution does not clarify the type of motion presented. Shameem also noted that a complaints system was in place in connection with the presidential election.
Attorneys of the defence and those of the parties that intervened in the motion argued in reference to the 2013 Supreme Court ruling which dictates procedures to be followed in questioning the validity of an election. Attorney of the parties that intervened in the motion Hisaan Hassan asked the Supreme Court bench not to nullify the right of the people to vote.
In the motion, the presidential candidate of PPM moved to annul the 2018 presidential election. Sentencing date or time was not revealed when court adjourned today.