The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has proposed an anti-defection bill to ensure that MPs would lose their seats if they resign from their parties.
According to the anti-defection bill proposed by MDP, an MP elected on a party ticket must resign from their seat if they wish to change parties.
If an MP is expelled from the party, the Elections Commission (EC) must take a vote to see if the people of the constituency wish to keep the MP.
Speaking at a press conference held by the MDP's parliamentary group today, PG leader Mohamed Rasheed Hussain said an anti-defection bill has been submitted to the Parliament as the public has concerns about MPs changing parties.
However, for various reasons, the Parliament Secretariat is not facilitating the work on the bill, he added.
The first anti-defection law was passed in the 18th Session of the Parliament after a Supreme Court ruling caused 12 MPs to lose their seats. The law stated that MPs would lose their seat immediately if they resigned from their parties.
Following the presidential election defeat of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) in 2018, opposition parties won Parliament majority and voted to repeal the law. The law was then repealed by former President Abdulla Yameen.
