Parliament Rush Through Constitutional Amendment on Anti-Defection

The parliament today controversially rushed through an amendment to the constitution that would result in MPs who cross the floor from losing their parliamentary seats.

The constitutional amendment submitted by ruling party MP for Hulhudhoo Mohamed Shahid stipulated that any member of parliament who cross the floor, leave or is dismissed from parties, as well as independent MPs who join parties, would lose their parliamentary seats.

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The amendment was passed in a late evening vote with 78 ruling party members in favour. All 13 opposition MPs, representing the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), opposed the measure.

The legislation was introduced in the morning session, and debate, along with committee review, was completed within hours. This rapid process drew criticism from the opposition, which accused the ruling party of undermining parliamentary procedures. Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla and the ruling party’s supermajority dismissed opposition objections, advancing the bill through an unusually swift process.

The debate of the bill lasted only one hour and was quickly sent to the committee of the whole house. The committee reconvened in the afternoon, and the ruling party used its two-thirds majority to push the bill through without any changes, rejecting proposed amendments from opposition members.

Protesters from both parties gathered outside the parliament as the opposition objected strongly to provisions in the bill that would allow a party to dismiss MPs from their party and stripping away their elected position. 

MDP MP Galolhu North Meekail Naseem had proposed amendments to the provisions that would allow the constituents to vote whether or not an MP would lose their seat if they are dismissed from the party. 

Additional Constitutional Changes

In addition to the clause on floor crossing, the amendment introduced four other significant changes to the constitution:

1. Boundary Changes: A new requirement for a two-thirds parliamentary majority to alter the jurisdiction or boundaries of the Maldives.
2. Foreign Military Presence: Parliamentary approval will now be required for foreign military personnel to be stationed in the Maldives for military purposes.
3. Presidential Powers: Expansion of the president’s authority to formulate national development plans for short, medium, and long-term implementation.
4. Public Referendums: Article 262, which governs unamendable provisions of the constitution, has been added to the list of articles that require a public referendum for any changes. Previously, Article 262 itself could be amended by a parliamentary vote alone.