Parliament Defies Supreme Court, Allows Opposition to Initiate Impeachment Proceedings

The Parliament has decided to uphold a contentious amendment to its standing orders, specifically reducing the voting threshold for impeaching the president and Vice President, allowing opposition lawmakers to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, despite the Supreme Court’s recent directive, today.

Last week, the Attorney General’s Office contested the legitimacy of the amendment before the Supreme Court, which subsequently issued an injunction to halt its implementation until a final ruling is reached.

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However, in a session held this afternoon, the Parliament voted to disregard the injunction and proceed with the enforcement of the amendment. The motion to reject the injunction was passed following an extensive hour-long debate, securing a unanimous vote of 45 in favour.

Addressing the assembly at the outset of the session, Speaker Aslam, formerly a prominent lawmaker with the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), expressed his reservations regarding the Supreme Court’s intervention. 

He asserted that the Constitution clearly vests the authority to regulate the functioning of the legislative body solely with the Parliament, casting doubt on the legitimacy of external interference in parliamentary affairs.

Prior to initiating the debate, Aslam indicated the Parliament’s readiness to comply with the court’s ruling, maintaining the total count of parliamentarians at 87, unless otherwise decided by the lawmakers themselves. However, despite this initial stance, the Parliament, where the MDP holds a majority, ultimately opted to reject the court order.

The contentious nature of the amendment stems from the strategic alteration of the standing orders to exclude vacated seats from the total count of MPs, a move orchestrated by the MDP to lower the threshold required for impeachment. Consequently, the current requirement for a two-thirds majority to impeach President Muizzu stands at 54 votes, down from the previous 58.

With the combined strength of the MDP and allied lawmakers totalling 56, the opposition now holds the necessary leverage to pursue impeachment proceedings against the president. The MDP has signalled its intention to submit the motion before the conclusion of the current term in May, underscoring the potential ramifications of this political manoeuvre.