Democrats walk out of SC case on constitutional amendment
The party had initially decided to intervene in the case and issued a press release on the matter.
The Democrats have withdrawn from the Supreme Court proceedings on a petition filed by former MP Ali Hussain, challenging a constitutional amendment that would result in the loss of his parliamentary seat if he is expelled from his party.
The party had initially decided to intervene in the case and issued a press release on the matter. The Supreme Court granted permission for their intervention, but the party has not participated in the two hearings held so far.
According to sources, the court had allowed the Democrats to intervene and requested a written submission from the party. However, the case is proceeding without their involvement. The names of the judges presiding over the case were announced at the court’s administrative table at the beginning of both hearings.
The Democrats have not officially commented on their absence. However, the party’s president, Imthiyaz Fahmy, addressed the matter on X, where legal discussions are ongoing regarding the prosecution’s procedural objection, which argues that the Supreme Court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case.
Imthiyaz, a former MP, stated: “The validity of a constitutional amendment depends solely on compliance with the procedures laid down in Chapter 12. It needs no further authorisation or interpretation to be valid,” questioning whether the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over the matter.
Chapter 12 of the Constitution outlines the process for amendments, stating that any change must be approved by a three-fourths majority of the total number of Parliament members.
The Democrats had initially sought to intervene in the case under the leadership of former MP Hassan Latheef, who was the party’s president at the time. Since then, both Hassan Latheef and former party vice-president Mohamed Shifaz have left the Democrats and rejoined the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
