The Supreme Court has accepted a petition filed by former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom after the Elections Commission (EC) rejected his candidacy form on the ground that he did not meet the criteria to contest the upcoming Presidential Elections.

Mohamed Tholal, Secretary General of PPM and President Yameen's election agent, revealed to One Online that the court has accepted the petition filed by President Yameen in the Supreme Court.

"The matter has been admitted to the Supreme Court and we are doing the needful," Tholal said.

President Yameen's candidacy was submitted to the EC yesterday morning, and after due consideration, the EC yesterday afternoon informed PPM that President Yameen could not contest at the upcoming election.

The EC rejected Yameen's candidacy after examining the information and material in his nomination form after taking into account Article 110 of the Constitution, Section 5 (A) of the Presidential Election Act and the General Law on Elections.

The reason cited is that Yameen does not fulfill the condition stipulated in Article 109 (l) of the Constitution as he has been convicted of a criminal offense for more than 12 months and has not completed the sentence.

According to Article 109 of the Constitution, if a person has been convicted of a criminal offense and sentenced to more than one year in prison, he or she can contest the election after three years of completion of the sentence.

President Yameen is serving an 11-year prison term after being found guilty of corruption and money laundering in the lease of Vaavu Aarah.

While the Supreme Court has accepted the plea, the law makes it mandatory for the supreme court to decide the matter within seven days.