President’s Office shouldn't decide MPs’ votes, Fayyaz says

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairman Fayyaz Ismail said on Tuesday that the President’s Office should not set the whip-line on how members of parliament vote.

His remarks come after a bill to amend the Courts Act, reducing the number of Supreme Court judges from seven to five, was moved by PNC MP Abdul Sattar Mohamed. Although some members opposed the bill, the PNC parliamentary group meeting ended with the government deciding to proceed, and the party leadership confirmed its support for the bill.

The bill was accepted in parliament on Tuesday, but 10 PNC members did not participate in the vote:

Following this, President Mohamed Muizzu sent a message to the party’s WhatsApp group, describing their absence as a violation of party discipline.

“The party has issued a three-line whip, and no one should ever violate it,” the President wrote.

In response, Fayyaz posted on X, criticising the president’s remarks. He stated that it is the parliamentary group’s responsibility to decide how members vote, not the president’s.

"The President’s Office should not put the whip-line on the vote on matters submitted to parliament. It should be approved by the party’s parliamentary group. The president has no power to tell MPs how to vote," Fayyaz said.

He further assured that any PNC member expelled for not voting in line with the president’s directive would be re-elected in accordance with a resolution passed by the MDP National Assembly.

"Remain steadfast in the cause of the people," Fayyaz wrote.