Former Kendhoo MP Ali Hussain, who has lodged a case challenging a contentious amendment to add anti-defection provisions to the Maldivian Constitution, told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that he believes the constitutional amendment was made in violation of proper procedure.
The constitutional amendment in question was submitted, passed and ratified in quick succession on November 20. It added three more circumstances where parliamentarians will lose their seat. They are:
If a parliamentarian resigns from or is dismissed or expelled from the party they were elected on behalf of
If a parliamentarian switches parties or is dismissed or expelled from a party
If an independent parliamentarian joins a party
Ali, an attorney-at-law, filed a constitutional case with the top court on November 24, seeking to have the new provisions annulled.
At Tuesday morning’s hearing, as the top court heard arguments in the case for a second day, Ali rejected the state’s assertion that the amendment was made in accordance with proper procedure.
He said that though it may appear that way, he does not believe the procedures set down under Chapter 12 of the Constitution was followed when making the amendment.
To be updated…