Parliament secretariat enforces SC ruling on 'dismissed' lawmakers, government still to determine validity
Secretary-General Mohamed Ahmed said that the Supreme Court
Parliament Speaker (L) Abdulla Maseeh looks on from his seat while General-Secretary Mohamed Ahmed recites the parliamentary agenda
The parliament’s secretariat has on Saturday said that the 12 lawmakers previously stated to have been dismissed, will be allowed to take part when the house resumes sittings this year.
Secretary-General of the People’s Majlis (the name for Maldives’ unicameral parliament), Ahmed Mohamed, told RaajjeMV that the first parliament sitting will be held as planned.
On the state of the 12 parliamentarians that the Elections Commission had previously said to have lost their seats according to a ruling on floor-crossing, Secretary-General Ahmed said that the Supreme Court ruling on the matter is ‘clear enough’.
On Thursday night, the Supreme Court ruled that said 12 lawmakers retain their seats in parliament and that they be restored all the privileges and responsibilities of that station.
The court had also ruled that a number of politicians currently serving prison sentences be released and the respective charges against them be put forth under a lawful and transparent judicial process.
The ruling also orders the Prosecutor General’s Office to charge individuals in institutions responsible for delaying its enforcement.
The government has since said that the validity of the ruling is yet to determined, and put off its enforcement despite the police previously announcing its intention to follow through.
