Debates on Anti-Defection Bill and changes to Judges Act on agenda for Monday's parliament sitting

A parliament sitting is scheduled for Monday, where MPs will debate on bills and amendments proposed by the ruling party.

The two items on Monday’s agenda are; debate on the Anti-Defection Bill; and debate on the amendments to the Judges Act.

According to the Anti-Defection Bill, proposed by the parliamentary group leader of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), MP Ahmed Nihan, lawmakers, elected on political party tickets, will lose their seat if they leave their party, get expelled, or switch parties. The Bill states the steps and procedures to be followed, in such a case.

The amendments to the Judges Act, proposed by PPM’s deputy leader MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla, seeks to remove judges, without the parliamentary vote called for by the constitution, “if convicted of a criminal offence”. Presently, a sitting judge “can only be removed if the judicial watchdog finds him guilty of gross incompetence or misconduct and submits a resolution to be passed by a two-thirds majority of parliament”.

This proposal coincides with the government’s arrest of two Supreme Court justices, who are accused of accepting bribes in a ‘conspiracy to overthrow the government’.

Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed were arrested following President Abdulla Yameen’s declaration of a state of emergency on 5th February, after refusing to implement a ruling issued by the Supreme Court four days earlier.