Maldives' top court has scheduled the challenge filed by two remaining disqualified ruling party lawmakers for Wednesday.
Elections Commission had disqualified four lawmakers who were dismissed from the ruling party under the recent Supreme Court anti-defection ruling to announce by-elections.
Dhidhdhoo lawmaker Abdul Latheef Mohamed, Thulusdhoo MP Mohamed Waheed Ibrahim, Maduvvaree MP Mohamed Ameeth and Villingili MP Saud Hussain had all challenged their disqualifications at the top court.
The top court has scheduled the challenge filed by Latheef and Ameeth for Wednesday after hearing the challenges filed Saud and Waheed on Tuesday.
Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) had officially removed the four rebel lawmakers from the party amid a struggle to regain its majority in parliament.
PPM has been devastated by a revolt after as many as 10 lawmakers backed an opposition led move to unseat the parliament speaker Abdulla Maseeh .
PPM has been accused of engineering the constitutional dispute case asking the Supreme Court to disqualify MPs who defect or violate party whip-lines and or are formally removed from their respective party.
The three judge bench hearing the case unanimously ruled in favour of the government. The court had also ordered relevant institutions to bring into effect an anti-defection law.
The ruling party however, had refused to allow the lawmakers to leave saying that their requests can only be processed after their respective disciplinary hearing are concluded.
Saud, Ameeth and Waheed remain in remand custody. Saud has been accused in a plot to assassinate a judge while Waheed and Ameeth was arrested for trespassing after storming the parliament with fellow opposition lawmakers late last month.
