MDP mulls reintroducing anti-defection law
Hulhumale MP Ali Niyaz said that the pros and cons of an anti-defection law are still being discussed.
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By
Fathmath Ahmed Shareef
The Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) Parliamentary Group (PG) has said that it is considering an anti-defection law to make a member lose his seat if he defects from the party.
In 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that a member of parliament would be lost if the member left or was expelled from the party he was elected to.
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The law was passed by parliament and ratified by then President Abdullah Yameen
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However, after differences of opinion, the law was annulled by a majority vote on November 1
The MDP PG held a press conference at the Parliament on Saturday to discuss the drafting of an anti-defection law.
At a press conference held by the MDP PG on Thursday, a journalist asked why the MDP had promised to draft an anti-defection law when it won a full majority in parliament in 2019 but had not done so in the last five years.
In response, Hulhumale MP Ali Niyaz said that the pros and cons of the law are still being discussed.
"We will consider bringing [an anti-defection law] in the future. It is not something we are talking about now because 13 MPs have left the party. We are also holding these discussions with local parties as part of our efforts to reform parliament in the future”.
Niyaz added that the MDP started the 19th parliament with 65 members but the number always decreases when the government changes. He said the representation of parties in parliament is never maintained at the same level.
The Anti-Defection Act passed by the Yameen government was proposed to be repealed by the then MP Riyaz Rasheed. He moved to repeal the law on the grounds that it prevented MPs from fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities.
