News Desk
The Election Commission has scheduled the Hithadoo North by‑election for 6 June, after the Supreme Court ruled that MP Mohammed Sinaan has lost his seat for failing to comply with a court‑ordered debt repayment. Sinaan, who represented the PNC, won the seat after long‑time MDP MP Mohamed Aslam previously held it.
The ruling was delivered by a five‑judge bench led by Justice Aisha Shujoon Mohammed, who said the evidence showed that Sinaan had not paid the required monthly instalments of a MVR 2.5 million loan, despite being formally notified of the judgment. The case was filed in October 2024 by Ghalib Saleem, who petitioned the Court to declare the seat vacant on the grounds that Sinaan had breached the repayment schedule set by the lower court.
Justice Shujoon said documents proved Sinaan had been informed of the judgment, rejecting his claim that he was unaware of the order or had not received the sentencing documents. Although Sinaan later paid the full amount in a lump sum during the third month, the judgment required monthly payments within six months, and failure to pay the first two instalments constituted a breach.
The lower court had already accepted the Islamic Bank’s enforcement request for non‑payment before the six‑month period expired, which the Supreme Court said demonstrated that the instalment requirement was clear and binding.
The Court found that Sinaan failed to make the required monthly payments, his claim of not knowing the verdict was not accepted, having a mortgage did not excuse the default, and any unpaid amount ordered by a court was treated as non‑payment of debt.
Justice Shujoon added that the Court did not need to consider whether the presence of a mortgage should protect a sitting MP from losing their seat, as the Supreme Court had previously ruled that any unpaid amount under a court order qualifies as non‑payment.
The bench — Justices Aisha Shujoon Mohammed, Ali Rasheed Hussain, Dr Mohammed Ibrahim, Hussain Shaheed and Mohammed Saleem — ruled unanimously that Sinaan had lost his seat.
The Election Commission said candidacy applications will be accepted from 10am tomorrow until 3pm on 29 April, either in person or by email to the Commission. The by‑election will take place on 6 June from 8am to 4pm, with official results expected shortly after.
To contest a parliamentary seat, a candidate must be a Maldivian citizen, hold no foreign citizenship, be a Muslim belonging to the Sunni community and be at least 18 years old, while individuals with unpaid court‑ordered debts, those serving sentences longer than 12 months or those within three years of completing or being pardoned for such a sentence are barred from running.
Three individuals have so far expressed interest in contesting the by‑election: former Addu City mayor and MDP Hithadoo constituency president Abdullah Sodiq (Sobe), former parliamentary candidate Ahmed Saeed (Naya) and Mohammed Ali.
