Amendments on JSC, MP numbers in final stages:
Usham made the remarks in response to comments by former Supreme Court Justice Husnu Suood.
Amendments to reconstitute the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and address the increase in the number of members of parliament are in the final stages, Attorney General Ahmed Usham said on Sunday.
Usham made the remarks in response to comments by former Supreme Court Justice Husnu Suood, who had asked the government to clarify its plans for constitutional amendments.
Suood raised concerns about several issues in the current system, including the increase in the number of members of parliament over successive terms and political influence on institutions such as the JSC, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Elections Commission (EC).
He also referred to the presence of politicians in the JSC, the appointment of individuals to political posts by presidents, and the difficulty faced by presidents in governing without holding a majority in parliament.
In a post responding to these concerns, Usham said there are issues in the current Constitution and that there is broad agreement that amendments are required.
He said the government plans to introduce three constitutional amendments to address the matters raised.
The proposed amendments include holding presidential and parliamentary elections at the same time, changing the composition of the JSC and addressing the increase in the number of members of parliament.
Usham said the amendment related to holding presidential and parliamentary elections together is currently being pursued because it requires a public referendum.
He added that the other proposed amendments do not require a referendum.
“The next amendments to the Constitution will be submitted to Parliament soon. The final discussions are underway,” Usham said.
He did not comment on some of the other issues mentioned by Suood.
On 11 November 2024, President Mohamed Muizzu announced plans to seek a referendum on three matters: electing a president without a second round of voting, starting the presidential term in November, and holding presidential and parliamentary elections together.
However, when asked by Dhauru during a press conference, the president said the proposal to abolish the second round of voting was still under consideration.
