President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has stated that with the Supreme Court ruling today, the date of the parliamentary elections is unclear, adding that he will seek the advice of Attorney General Ahmed Usham today and ratify the Bill if he advises.

Speaking to the residents of Noonu Atoll Kendhikulhudhoo as part of his ongoing tour of the North, the President noted that the Supreme Court has now ruled that the total number of members of Parliament is 87 and therefore he is now seeking the legal advice of the AG.

The President said the Supreme Court's ruling raises questions about the legal status of the 80-member parliamentary election postponement bill and other cases that have already been decided.

“All decisions made based on total seat count of 80 will therefore be unconstitutional,” he said, referring to the court ruling.

“I have asked for legal counsel from the attorney general. Because a ruling such as this poses questions… regarding the legitimacy of the previous decisions,” he said.

He said that he will make his decision based on counsel from Usham, adding that he would “immediately ratify the bill if he advises as such.”

“If he counsels that the bill passed on Wednesday must be ratified, then I will immediately do so,” he said.

President Muizzu said that he himself does not want to have the parliamentary elections held during Ramadan, and that when the Elections Commission (EC) initially asked for an unofficial opinion from his regarding the matter, he had suggested holding the election ahead of Ramadan.

‘I do not want to have the elections in Ramadan. Ramadan is a month of worship. Isn’t this why I pledged during my presidential campaign to have government offices closed during the last 10 days [of Ramadan]?” he said.

The President said he had asked the Election Commission to hold the elections before Ramadan if the Constitution and the law were not violated. When the Election Commission asked the parliament to do so, the MDP refused to hold the election before Ramadan for some unknown reason, he said.