Amendment proposed to Constitution against increasing number of MPs

Kudahuvadhoo MP Ahmed Amir has proposed an amendment to the Constitution, such that the number of MPs would not be increased beyond 77.

This comes after Elections Commission announced that the number of MPs would increase to 85 at the parliamentary elections next year, following the addition of 8 MPs from Male’ and six atolls.

The amendment proposed by Amir to Article 71 (a) of the Constitution states that the number of MPs should be 77 based on the administrative divisions and constituencies.

Article 71 (a) states that the membership of the parliament shall be determined such that two members are elected for the first five thousand residents registered for each administrative division or two members for administrative divisions with less than five thousand residents; and where the residents registered to an administrative division exceed five thousand residents, one additional member for each group of five thousand residents in excess of the first five thousand.

Amir has also proposed to amend Article 72 (a) and to remove Article 72 (c) of the Constitution.

Amir said that the amendment against increasing the number of MPs was submitted to the parliament after discussing the matter with the two largest political parties, MDP and PPM. He expressed hope that the remaining parties would support the amendment.

“With the presidential election around the corner, all presidential candidates are saying the same thing. They are saying that they would facilitate things that are beneficial for the people. If this amendment is passed, it would make things easier for the people as well as the State,” said Amir, who also proposed an amendment to the Constitution in 2011.