State attorneys on Thursday said the High Court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case filed by main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) seeking to overturn the decision by the country's electoral watchdog to annul all candidacies after announcing new dates for the delayed local council election.
During the first hearing on the case, MDP attorney argued that the civil court had ordered to delay the elections and the Elections Commission had no legal right to hold fresh elections.
The civil court had postponed the council polls originally slated for January 14 by two months.
Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) filed the case seeking to delay the upcoming council polls by two months citing that the ongoing rift within the party had impeded its preparations for the elections slated for January 14.
Elections commission during a press conference announced its decision to hold the court delayed local council elections on April 8.
The commission had also said the previous 900 candidatures have been annulled and everyone would now be required to re-submit their respective candidature.
MDP in court insisted that the elections commission had not been given the authority to annul candidature forms by the civil court ruling.
In response, state attorneys argued that as MDP had failed to file an official complaint over the annulled forms to the elections commission as stated in elections law, the High Court lacks the jurisdiction to hear the case.
The three judge bench had ended Thursday's hearing after MDP asked for more time to respond to the state's argument.
