Ex-pres Maumoon asks if rushed constitutional amendment a world record

Former Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has asked if the constitutional amendments submitted, passed and ratified in quick succession on Wednesday had set a world record.

The new amendments enacted on Wednesday included adding anti-defection provisions to the Constitution.

The first reading of the bill was conducted just after 09:00 am and the debate ended just after 11:30 am. The Whole House Committee began its review at 12:30 pm and passed it just after 02:30 pm. The Parliament took a floor vote and passed the bill at 05:30 pm. President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu ratified the bill in the evening. All in all, it took mere hours between the first reading and the enactment of the legislature.

Maumoon took to social media platform X on Thursday to comment on the speed of the passage of the constitutional amendment.

“Constitutional amendment passed in 6 hours - world record?” he asked.

6 ގަޑިއިރު ތެރޭގައި ޤާނޫން އަސާސީއަށް އިޞްލާޙު ހުށަހަޅައި އިޞްލާޙު ފާސްކުރުން- ދުނިޔޭގެ ރިކޯޑެއްތޯ؟

— Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (@maumoonagayoom) November 21, 2024

The question comes amid concern from the concern from the opposition, as well as the legal community, regarding the lack of public consultation in passing key constitutional amendments.

The bill adds 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

The legislature was passed by the Parliament, of which the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) holds a supermajority, amid protests by parliamentarians from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) – who hold just a dozen seats in the 93-member Parliament.

MDP said they aren’t opposed to anti-defection provisions in principle. But they do not believe it should apply to parliamentarians who are expelled. They also object to the lack of extensive consultation and debate before making constitutional amendments.

Amendments proposed by the MDP to stipulate that parliamentarians expelled from their parties can only be removed after a public vote were rejected.

Anti-government protestors had also gathered outside the Parliament to demonstrate against the bill, and clashes erupted after they were confronted by pro-government protestors, before the police intervened and separated the two groups.

The passage of the bill had also come after the Bar Council asked the Parliament for a chance to consult on the legislature, citing that council members as well as the larger legal community had certain concerns regarding the bill.

However, President Muizzu defended the contentious constitutional amendments, describing them as crucial for Maldives’ stability.

The new Constitution was drafted towards the end of Maumoon’s 30-year reign. It was enacted on August 7, 2008.