PNC MPs told not to summon ministers, SoE heads without Pres. Muizzu’s approval

Ruling PNC’s Parliamentary Group has been instructed against summoning cabinet ministers and heads of state-owned companies to the Parliament without the approval of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.

A lawmaker from PNC’s parliamentary group confirmed this to Sun.

According to the lawmaker, the parliamentary group has been instructed against summoning cabinet ministers and heads of state-owned companies to the Parliament without the approval of President Muizzu, who serves as the leader of the party. 

The instructions that constrict the powers of lawmakers have come after a controversial amendment passed and ratified in quick succession on November 20th which added three more circumstances where parliamentarians will lose their seat, including if they are expelled from their political party.

Three Supreme Court justices – Husnu Al-Suood, Dr. Azmiralda Zahir, and Mahaz Ali Zahir – were suspended by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) last Wednesday, shortly before a key hearing on an injunction seeking to suspend the controversial anti-defection clauses written into the Constitution.

The hearing on the injunction seeking to suspend the controversial anti-defection clauses written into the Constitution was scheduled for 11:00am on Wednesday.

According to JSC, the justices were suspended after the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), via a letter, informed the Commission that the three justices were the subjects of an ongoing criminal investigation.

At 10:00am on the same day, the Parliament passed the government-backed amendment to the Judicature Act to downsize the Supreme Court bench from seven to five justices.

While 79 MPs were in attendance for the sitting, the bill passed with a majority vote of 68-9.

Opposition parties, including the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Democrats, questioned the timing of the bill, and accused the government of attempting to influence the country's highest judicial authority and subvert judicial independence.

Notably, Suood, who had been suspended, resigned from his post as a Supreme Court justice on Tuesday after accusing President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu of intimidation of justices.