Protests are taking place near the Parliament building as MPs prepare to vote on a constitutional amendment that would cause them to lose their seats upon floor crossing or expulsion from their political parties.

Supporters from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) have gathered in the area. Adhadhu reporters saw one policeman injured by a protestor.

PNC supporters want the constitutional amendments to be approved while MDP supporters are protesting against the proposed bill.

The sudden amendment bill comes amid rumours that some MPs from PNC were planning to leave the party after the High Court was petitioned to quash part of the Anti-Defection Act that requires MPs to resign for floor crossing.

The bill, which is scheduled to be introduced by PNC MP Mohamed Shahid, says that if an MP from a political party is expelled in accordance with the law, he will lose his seat.

The current Anti-Defection Act says that if an MP from a political party leaves the party or is expelled, he can go to court to determine whether the decision was made correctly. If the court rules that the dismissal was proper, he must resign from the seat.

However, if the proposed constitutional amendment bill is passed without any changes, MPs will immediately lose their seat upon expulsion or leaving their parties.

In addition, MPs who do not belong to a party must also resign even if they sign up for a party.

A similar law was passed during the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen. The law applied retrospectively, disqualifying even MPs who left or were expelled from the party before the law was passed.

Under the Act, 12 MPs who left the PPM lost their seats. However, the law was repealed under the new MDP government after Yameen lost his re-election bid in 2018.

The current Anti-Defection Act passed in the last days of the 19th Parliament was ratified by Muizzu earlier this year.

An individual named Mohamed Anees, who does not belong to any political party, petitioned the High Court on Tuesday, seeking repeal of Clause 3 of the Act, claiming that requiring MPs to resign is unconstitutional.