Civil Servants to Resign Upon Submission of Forms for Parliamentary Elections

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has clarified that civil servants participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Maldives will be required to resign from their positions upon the acceptance of their forms by the Election Commission of Maldives (ECM).

The parliamentary and presidential elections, classified as general elections, operate under distinct laws and regulations compared to candidates contesting local council elections.

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The civil service employees intending to run for parliamentary seats must formally resign on the day of form submission to the ECM. Failure to do so will prompt the CSC to initiate the removal process.

While the Civil Service Act initially mandated a six-month resignation period for civil servants contesting general elections, a legal challenge in 2009 saw the High Court deeming this provision unconstitutional. Consequently, the CSC revised the Civil Service Rules last year, specifying that resignation must occur on the date of form submission and receipt.

The rules diverge for candidates in council elections. In this scenario, an individual is placed on suspension from the date of form submission until the election’s final results are announced. If unsuccessful, they are permitted to re-enter their job.

As the exact date for next year’s parliamentary elections remains unannounced by the ECM, political parties are gearing up for internal elections, though official candidacies are yet to be declared. The commission has disclosed that the advisory committee will oversee parliamentary elections within the first four months of the upcoming year.