The constitutional amendments passed on Wednesday in just under nine hours after ignoring due process and without consulting with the public were needed for the country's stability, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has said.
The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the Maldives was ratified on Wednesday night. The President's Office released a video message from Muizzu after its ratification.
"These are really very important decisions for the independence, sovereignty, development and stability of Maldives," he said.
"The Honorable Members of Parliament made decisions for the country with national enthusiasm."
Five main amendments were brought to the Constitution with the votes of ruling People's National Congress (PNC) MPs who control the Parliament supermajority.
A subsection (e) was added to Article 73, specifying new conditions for the removal of MPs. MPs will lose their seat if they defect from the political party under whose ticket they were elected, join a political party after being elected as an independent candidate, or voluntarily leave or are expelled from their political party while in office.
PNC MPs rejected a proposal to give the people the right to recall their elected MPs in the People's Majlis.
With this change, leaders of political parties have the power to expel MPs and cause them to lose their seats.
Some lawyers believe this is an unconstitutional amendment.
Amendments were also brought to Article 115 (e) to expand the President's powers, granting authority to determine key national policies, provide advice and guidance to state agencies and formulate national development plans and strategic visions.
Under changes to Articles 3 (a) and 3 (b), any modification to the territory of the Maldives must be enacted through a law passed by at least three-fourths of all members of Parliament. The territory includes the Maldives' land, airspace, sea, seabed, and territorial waters as defined by law.
Article 251 (c) now regulates the use of Maldivian territory for military purposes by non-nationals. Such use is allowed only through agreements or arrangements approved by a parliamentary majority, except for military exercises conducted under contractual terms.
A new subsection has also been added to Article 262 (b), requiring a public referendum to confirm popular support for laws altering the country's territory or for constitutional amendments passed by Parliament.
The constitutional amendment bill was passed with 78 votes in favour while 13 MPs - 12 from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and independent MP Abdul Rahman from Meedhoo constituency - voted against the bill.
After ratifying the amendments, Muizzu left for the UN on an unofficial visit to the UK to see his daughter Yasmeen.
