Elections informs dismissal of four PPM MPs to Parliament

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has notified the PPM Council members that the Elections Commission has notified the parliament of the MPs that have lost the membership of PPM.

A member of the PPM Council told Sun Media that in an emergency meeting of the council tonight, President Yameen has informed them that the Elections Commission have finalized the dismissal of four MPs and informed the decision to the parliament.

The member said that MPs dismissed from the party are the MP for Maduvaari constituency, Mohamed Ameeth, MP for Thulusdhoo constituency, Mohamed Waheed Ibrahim, MP for Villingili constituency, Saud Hussain and the MP for Dhiddhoo constituency Abdul Latheef Mohamed.

Except for MP Latheef, the other three MPs got elected to the parliament on the PPM ticket.

Five days ago, the Supreme Court of the Maldives have passed a ruling stating that MPs who switch their political party will lose their seat at the parliament.

The ruling said that MPs who are dismissed, leave or switch from their political party to another will lose their seat at the parliament. And the departure from the party will be confirmed by the Elections Commission.

But on Sunday night, the Supreme Court passed ruling saying that MPs won't lose their seats in relation to an issue prior to the ruling.

Article 78 of the Constitution states that if a seat at the parliament becomes vacant, a member has to be elected within 60 days. And if the Parliament session is less than six months to the next election, a member cannot be elected to the parliament.