Familiar tug of war in Maldives

The Maldives' judiciary is in crisis again, as President Mohamed Muizzu aims to downsize the Supreme Court.

- SMRUTI S PATTANAIK

It is hearing the controversial Constitutional amendment that strips lawmakers of their seats if they change their party affiliation or are expelled from the political party from which they were elected.

Defending the amendment carried out in November last year, the president said, "Members contest elections as representing a particular ideology or party and therefore there is a covenant between the elected member and the people of the constituency... the amendment to the Constitution will protect the covenant made by the members".

This was part of the 6th Amendment to the Constitution that included several other changes and was justified on the ground that it would "strengthen political accountability, safeguard national sovereignty and ensure public participation in critical national decisions". The Constitutional Amendment Bill received 78 votes in favour, while 13 MPs - 12 from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and independent MP Abdul Rahman - opposed it.

The opposition filed a case against the amendment in the Maldivian Supreme Court soon after the president ratified it. Notably, the amendment was presented, passed and ratified within nine hours. However, Muizzu's style of passing this amendment is not new in Maldives' parliamentary history. In the past, President Abdullah Yameen also got approval in a similar manner when the Free Trade Agreement with China was ratified overnight without the opposition's presence.