Maldives Supreme Court agrees to hear petition on annulment of September election results
Today the Supreme Court of the Maldives is expected to hear a petition from incumbent President Abdulla Yameen challenging the result of September elections.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the petition despite Yameen conceding defeat to his victorious opponent, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih , in the hours following the election. The victorious Maldivian Democratic Party has called for the Supreme Court and Yameen to honour the election results, which saw 58% of votes cast in favour of Solih. The hearing will also likely raise claims of vote suppression and fraud by both sides, given Yameen’s history of violently suppressing political opposition and tampering with election procedures.
With the history of strongman rule in the Maldives, and in the event that the Supreme Court rules in favour of Yameen, international scrutiny of the Indian Ocean archipelago is expected to intensify. Past actions which have undermined democratic processes and a peaceful transition of power have led to strong international criticism and sanctions. Expect the results to be upheld.
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