President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has ratified Anti-Defection Bill and amendment to the Judicature Act of Maldives.
The Anti-Defection Bill submitted to parliament by Majority Leader Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik was passed by the parliament with 36 votes. The purpose of the bill is to ensure that parliamentarians refrain from political and financial influences as parliamentarians are elected by citizens. Parliamentarians elected after contesting on party tickets will lose seats if they leave the party, get expelled from the party or defect to another party, according to the bill.
However, the bill details parliamentarians elected as independents would not lose seats, if they decide to join a political party during their parliamentary term. In addition, the bill states that if a member decides to go against the whip line of the party, seats would not be lost even if a disciplinary action was taken against them. The bill said it has come to effect from July 13, 2017 which would result in the 12 parliamentarians who defected last year, to lose their seats in parliament.
The Judicature Act proposed to the parliament by Member of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla states if any judge is found guilty of committing a criminal offence, the judge would be suspended by the Judicial Service Commission without a running salary, until sentencing. The amendment to Judicature Act was approved with 37 votes in its favor.