MDA candidate Shahid petitions High Court to intervene in Suha’s challenge to Meedhoo result

The MDA candidate for the Dh. Meedhoo constituency, Mohamed Shahid, has filed a petition in the High Court seeking permission to intervene in the case concerning the results of the recent local council elections.

One of the most closely contested constituencies in the elections held on the 4th of this month was the Dh. Meedhoo seat.

According to the provisional results announced by the Election Commission (EC), ruling PNC candidate Suha Ibrahim received 393 votes, while MDA candidate Shahid received 392 votes.

However, the MDA lodged a complaint with the EC after discovering that an ineligible person had voted at a polling station in L. Fonadhoo.

After reviewing the matter, the EC Complaints Bureau unanimously declared the disputed vote invalid and ordered its removal from the results.

The commission then recounted the votes, after which Shahid won the seat by a margin of one vote. According to the official results, Suha received 391 votes and Shahid received 392 votes.

PNC candidate Suha has filed a case in the High Court challenging the result. The case has been registered.

Shahid’s legal team told Sun that they have submitted a petition seeking intervention in the case, as Shahid has a direct interest and could lose his rights if not allowed to participate. The court has not yet ruled on the intervention request, the lawyers said.

Under Article 172(a) of the Constitution, anyone who has a complaint regarding an election or its results has the right to submit a case to the court. Under Article 64 of the General Elections Act, the High Court has first‑instance jurisdiction to hear electoral cases, and its decisions can be appealed to the Supreme Court.

Under Article 66 of the General Elections Act, an election case must be filed within 14 days from the date the official results are announced.