The Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to Maldives, Sir Donald McKinnon, has issued the following statement:
The Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to Maldives, Sir Donald McKinnon, has issued the following statement:
‘I am deeply concerned that the Supreme Court’s ruling today against the holding of the scheduled second-round election on 10 November. This means that the Maldivian presidential elections will not be completed before the term of the current government expires at midnight on 10 November 2013.
In the absence of a political agreement, the people must look to their Constitution for guidance and have confidence in their Constitution. Article 124 makes clear the spirit and intent of the Constitution for situations such as the one the country is currently facing.
Article 124 reflects the basic democratic principle that the state’s power must always lie with the people and their elected representatives. This is the fundamental underpinning of the Constitution. Elected representatives speak for the people. I therefore believe that Article 124 offers the most appropriate guidance to avoid constitutional uncertainty and sustain the support of the people.
As in most countries, an interim government would not be expected in any interim period, such as from 11 November to the swearing in of a new elected President, to take any significant decision or new policy initiative.’
