News

MDP submits an anti-defection bill

Published

3 months ago

23/02/2024

The main opposition MDP says it has submitted an anti-defection bill to prevent floor crossing, but was facing challenges in pushing the legislature through.

In a press briefing on Thursday evening, MDP’s parliamentary group leader, Mohamed Rasheed Hussain (Bigey) told reporters that the bill was submitted to the Parliament by Baarah MP Ahmed Abdulla. But he did not specify when it was submitted.

According to Bigey, the bill was submitted due to great public concern over cases of floor crossing.

“But we have been unable to push this through to the Parliament floor due to various reasons. The Parliament’s secretariat has yet to facilitate this opportunity,” said Bigey, who represents the Alifushi constituency.

MDP’s legal director Hisaan Hussain, who represents the Thulhaadhoo constituency in the Parliament, told reporters that the bill submitted by MDP is different from the anti-defection legislature which was passed, and then later repealed by the PPM administration in 2018.

Hisaan said the previous legislature disqualified lawmakers who are expelled by their parties.

“Even back then, we said it cannot be done that way. Even political parties must not have such great power over a lawmaker and the chance to abuse that power,” she said.

Hisaan said the greatest difference with MDP’s bill is that it requires lawmakers elected on party tickets to resign if they voluntarily leave the party.

Secondly, lawmakers who are expelled from their party will be subjected to a recall vote – which will be held by the Elections Commission (EC).

“After a recall referendum, if the constituents decide they do not want the lawmaker to represent the seat, then the lawmaker will be required to resign from the Parliament,” she said.

She, too, said the MDP face facing challenges in scheduling the bill.

She added that the Parliament’s secretariate still had the same top officials who were there when the previous anti-defection legislature was submitted and passed.

Hisaan did not elaborate on the challenges the MDP if facing in pushing the legislature through, but said that the speaker and deputy speaker – both of whom belong to the MDP – are working on resolving the issue.

The previous anti-defection legislature was formulated in response to a Supreme Court ruling in July 2017, in which the top court established that lawmakers would lose their seat if they left or were expelled the party they were elected from, or if they switched parties. The ruling, which contentiously stripped the seats of a dozen lawmakers who left the then-ruling PPM, called for the formulation of anti-defection legislature.

The bill was submitted by the then-PPM parliamentary group leader Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik in March 2018. But the bill was repealed in November 2018.

Source(s): sun.mv

News

Developmental projects of Maldives progressing substantially

Published

12 hours ago

18/05/2024

India’s Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar has affirmed that the developmental projects of the Maldives carried out with the assistance of India have been progressing considerably. The remarks were made by the minister during the Confederation of Indian Industry (CIIs) Annual Business Summit.

Speaking at the summit, Minister Jaishankar stated that some developmental projects were slightly politically influenced, hindering the progress. However, he assured that the progress of the projects have propelled at a notable rate.

Following the Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer’s official visit to India at the invitation of Minister Jaishankar, discussions were held highlighting the spectrum of initiatives across the nation has been kickstarted through loans and grants from the Government of India during the previous administration. He emphasised the current government’s commitment to prioritising the resumption and completion of these projects.

Meanwhile, the Government of India has reaffirmed its commitment to the development and prosperity of the Maldives by extending a budgetary support of USD 50 million to be repaid within a term of one year.

Source(s): PsmNews

News

Police officers complete training to prevent maritime terrorism acts

Published

1 day ago

17/05/2024

A team of 22 police officers has successfully completed a specialised training programme focused on thwarting maritime terrorism activities.

Entitled “Training on Strengthening Capabilities to Disrupt Maritime Crimes as Related to Terrorist Threats,” the program was conducted through a collaborative effort between the Maldives Police Service (MPS) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Running from May 13 to 15, the intensive training equipped participants with essential skills and knowledge crucial for combating threats in maritime environments.

The concluding ceremony, graced by the presence of Chief Superintendent of Police Ibrahim Adnan Anees, Head of Marine Police, along with senior officials from the Marine Police Department, UNODC’s Head of Office Enrico Boninsegna, and course instructor Kenneth Alferdo Pennington, highlighted the significance of such initiatives in enhancing national security.

Addressing the gathering, Adnan underscored the importance of ongoing education and skill development, urging participants to actively apply the knowledge garnered from the program in their professional endeavors.

The training, conducted at Dhoonidhoo, Kaafu Atoll, imparted vital insights into the prevention and detection of maritime terrorism activities, emphasizing protocols for safe navigation in high-risk areas. Furthermore, officers received guidance on investigative procedures essential for effectively addressing such crimes, thereby bolstering the nation’s capabilities in combating maritime threats.

Source(s): PsmNews

News

President reverts land act amendment to parliament

Published

1 day ago

17/05/2024

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has reverted the Ninth Amendment Bill to the Maldives Land Act to Parliament for further consideration.

This bill, which seeks to establish criteria for recipients of residential land and mandates that land be allocated within three months of the publication of the permanent list of recipients in the gazette, was initially passed during the twenty-second sitting of Parliament’s first session this year and sent to the President’s Office for ratification on May 2.

In returning the bill, President Muizzu invoked Article 91(a) of the Constitution, which grants the President the authority to return legislation to Parliament for reconsideration.

The President’s Office has confirmed this, indicating the need for further review and potential revisions to the proposed amendment.

Source(s): PsmNews