The government has proposed to amend the Constitution so that members of the People's Majlis will lose their seats if they switch to a political party other than the one they were elected with.
The bill to amend the Constitution of the Republic of Maldives was presented to the Majlis on Wednesday by pro-government MP for Hulhudhoo constituency Mohamed Shahid.
The constitutional amendment has been proposed at a time a case has been filed at the High Court to nullify a clause in the Anti-Defection Law that requires members to resign from their positions if they sign for a party other than the one they were elected with.
The third article of the Anti-Defection Law was proposed to be repealed by a private individual.
It has been stated that the proposal to repeal the third article of the Anti-Defection Law was made because it is believed that the law's requirement for a member who changes parties to resign is contrary to the Constitution.
The bill was passed at the 20th sitting of the first session of the People's Majlis held on April 1. The Anti-Defection Bill was ratified by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on April 16.
The government has proposed to amend the Constitution to make MPs lose their seats if they change parties by adding a new clause after Article 73 (d) of the Constitution of the Republic of Maldives.
With this amendment to the Constitution, a member elected to the People's Majlis will be removed from membership in three circumstances:
- If a member elected to the People's Majlis on behalf of a specific political party, during the term of the People's Majlis to which the member was elected, voluntarily leaves the political party they represent, or is removed from that political party's membership as specified by law, or becomes a member of a political party other than the one they represent
- If a member of the People's Majlis, during the term of the People's Majlis to which the member was elected, voluntarily leaves the political party they represent, or is removed from that political party's membership as specified by law, or becomes a member of a political party other than the one they represent
- If a member elected to the People's Majlis as an independent candidate, during the term of the People's Majlis to which the member was elected, becomes a member of a political party.
While the government has suddenly proposed this constitutional amendment, 13 members who represented the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in the 19th People’s Majlis assembly have switched to the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC).
Further, some members elected independently to the 20th People’s Majlis assembly have also signed for PNC in the presence of the president.
