Proposed amendment to Civil Service Act to give civil servants passive suffrage

Hassan Latheef, MP for Hithadhoo South Constituency, has today proposed an amendment to the Civil Service Act, proposing to give civil servants passive suffrage in all general elections.

Proposing the amendment, Hassan Latheef said that the purpose was to eliminate a limitation on the constitutional rights when it comes to civil servants. He also said that there were other articles of the Act which were inconsistent with the Constitution and that the amendments would right them as well.

As of now, the Civil Service Act, by virtue of Article 51, enjoins any civil servant to resign from his or her civil service post at least 6 months before an election in which he/she wishes to run for is to be conducted.

Hassan Latheef argued that Article 51 of the Civil Service Act is contradictory to Article 26 (B) of the Constitution which guarantees all the citizens the right to run for any elections.

Hassan Latheef also said that instead of abolishing Article 51, it can be amended so as to merely require a civil servant to be suspended temporarily when he/she run for an election, on condition that the post should be given back if he/she is not elected.