Yameen barred from contesting presidential polls

The Maldives Supreme Court barred the jailed former President Abdulla Yameen from contesting the island nation’s presidential election in September, citing his conviction by a criminal court.

Last December, Mr. Yameen, who leads the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), was sentenced to a 11-year jail sentence after he was pronounced guilty of corruption and money-laundering charges. However, his party had nominated him as its candidate for the island nation’s presidential race scheduled on Sept. 9, in which incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is seeking a second term.

Prior to his jail sentence Mr. Yameen, 64, had relaunched his political campaign on an anti-India platform, spearheading the ‘India Out’ campaign across the Indian Ocean archipelago.

When Mr. Yameen filed his nomination papers on Aug. 1, the Elections Commission rejected his candidacy, pointing to ineligibility owing to the conviction.

When the PPM challenged this legally, the country’s top court held that two constitutional provisions prohibit a criminal convict serving jail time from standing for public office.