Chief justice Abdulla Saeed on Sunday refused to meet the opposition despite a top opposition delegation waiting for an audience for over two hours inside the Supreme Court.
The united opposition spokesperson and lawmaker Ahmed Mahloof told reporters that the opposition had requested a meeting with the chief justice in writing on July 30. However, the opposition is yet to receive a response to the letter, Mahloof added.
According to Mahloof the opposition was looking to meet the top judge over the delay in issuing a ruling over the challenges filed by the recently qualified lawmakers.
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.
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 last month.
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.
