Parliament rejects Qasim’s proposed amendments

Parliament has rejected the legal amendments submitted by JP leader, Maamigili MP Qasim Ibrahim to increase the penalty for mockery of Islam, recodify homosexuality as a major felony, and limit the number of parliamentarians.

The votes on the amendments were taken Tuesday afternoon.

The bill to amend the Constitution to increase the penalty for mockery of Islam was rejected with a majority vote of 22-13. One abstained.

The bill to amend the Criminal Procedure Code to declare homosexual relations as a major felony was rejected with a majority vote of 22-13.

And, the bill to amend the Constitution to limit the number of parliamentarians to 87 was rejected with a majority vote of 25-7. One abstained.

Also Tuesday, the Parliament rejected the bull submitted by Vilimale’ MP Ahmed Usham to repeal the provision on Parliaments Privileges and Powers Act that compels the award of benefits to former parliamentarians. The bill was rejected with a majority vote of 31-5.

Usham had argued the various benefits to parliamentarians who served one or two terms far outweighed the benefits awarded to long serving state officials.

Meanwhile, the bill submitted by Thulusdhoo MP Ibrahim Naseem to amend the Higher Education and Training Act to lower the criteria for registration of colleges as universities was accepted with the unanimous consensus of 39 parliamentarians.

The bill will allow colleges which have been operating in Maldives continuously for 15 years, instead of 20 years as currently required, to register as a university.