Gov’t Lodges Constitutional Case with Supreme Court Amid Impeachment Process Amendments

The administration has taken its concerns regarding alterations to Parliament’s rules of procedure, particularly those concerning the impeachment process to the Supreme Court.

Attorney General Ahmed Usham confirmed that a constitutional case was lodged at the Supreme Court today, marking the official response to the contentious changes. However, Usham refrained from divulging further details on the matter.

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Under the Maldivian Constitution, the removal of the President and Vice President from office necessitates a two-thirds majority vote of the total number of Members of Parliament (MPs), which currently stands at 87 in the ongoing session of the People’s Majlis.

However, modifications to the procedure were initiated by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)-dominated parliament following the departure of seven pro-government MPs who vacated their seats to assume ministerial roles.

These amendments stipulate that an impeachment vote can now be conducted based on the number of MPs present rather than the total count of MPs.

With the seven seats left vacant, the total number of MPs is now reduced to 80 instead of the original 87, consequently altering the threshold for majority approval.

The revised procedure dictates that the President and Vice President can now be impeached with the votes of 54 MPs, a reduction from the previous requirement. At the time of the amendment, the MDP boasted sufficient MPs to successfully impeach the President Muizzu.

The alterations have elicited concerns from the government, its supporters, and segments of the public, given their potential ramifications on the political landscape.

This composition implies that the combined votes of the MDP and Democrats, amounting to 57, are adequate to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.

The MDP has affirmed its collaboration with The Democrats in this endeavour. The decision to move towards impeachment was catalyzed by the ruling coalition’s MPs disrupting Parliament sessions following the rejection of certain ministerial appointees.

However, the status of whether the motion has been formally submitted to Parliament remains uncertain at present.