The ruling People's National Congress (PNC) parliamentary group leader Ibrahim Falah has said action will be taken against MPs who violated a three-line whip for the amendment bill to reduce the size of the Supreme Court.
Eleven PNC MPs abstained from the vote in the People's Majlis today. PNC had earlier issued a three-line whip to participate in the vote and accept the bill.
“Action will be taken against those who deliberately violate the whip while a three-line whip has been issued,” Falah said in a message to the ruling party MPs.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu also condemned the whip violation and said it was unacceptable.
"When the party issues a three-line whip, no one should go against it. Under any circumstance," he wrote in a WhatsApp group of MPs.
The amendment bill to the Judicature Act was accepted by the parliament with the votes of 64 MPs. Eleven MDP MPs and an independent MP voted against it.
Some PNC MPs were not in attendance on the parliament floor at the time of the vote despite appearing for today's sitting.
The majority of PNC MPs spoke against the bill at a PNC parliamentary group meeting on Monday. Despite their views against it, the PNC leadership informed MPs to support the bill.
The amendment bill to change the composition of the Supreme Court bench from seven members to five members was proposed by Holhudhoo MP Abdul Sattar Mohamed on behalf of the government.
According to the bill, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) should determine the two judges to be removed from the court and send their names to parliament within five days of the law coming into force.
The People's Majlis must decide on the removal of the judges within seven days. Judges can be removed by a two-thirds majority of the parliament.
The bill was proposed amid a constitutional case on MP disqualification. In November last year, a subsection (e) was added to Article 73 of the Constitution, specifying new conditions for the removal of MPs.
With the new amendment, 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.
Former Kendhoo MP Ali Hussain petitioned the Supreme Court to quash the change. On February 18, the Supreme Court decided to accept it and gave the Attorney General's (AG) Office 10 days to respond.
