MALE, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Maldives Supreme Court on Sunday will begin hearing the legal challenge filed by the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) against last month's presidential election, local media reported Friday.
A notice on the Supreme Court website said a case hearing had been scheduled at 1 p.m. local time on Sunday.
According to Elections Commission Chief Ahmed Shareef, the Supreme Court had held a preliminary hearing on Thursday where the Elections Commission had been asked to respond before 11 a.m. local time on Saturday.
Shareef said President Abdulla Yameen had asked the Supreme Court to annul the election, claiming electoral violations.
The PPM on Thursday filed a case in the Supreme Court against the results of the Sept. 23 presidential elections, alleging that there had been rigging.
The PPM is led by incumbent President Yameen, who lost the Sept. 23 polls to opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
The PPM said in a statement that the decision to seek legal recourse through the Supreme Court and high court was taken in accordance with the relevant articles of the Elections Act which said that elections-related complaints could be probed only through a court order.
The decision to seek legal recourse was taken by the party Council in order to uphold the electoral right of its candidate and running mate as well as the rights of the party's members and the 96,000 people who voted for the president, the PPM said.
The Elections Commission has dismissed the allegations raised by the PPM and stressed there were no irregularities or complaints that could affect the outcome of the election.
Yameen had, a day after the Sept. 23 presidential polls, conceded defeat and said he accepted the results of the election. In an address to the nation, Yameen said he would stay on in presidency until the end of his term on Nov. 17 and continue to remain in service.
According to official and final results released by the Elections Commission last month, Solih had secured 134,705 votes in the presidential polls while incumbent President Yameen had secured 96,052 votes.
