MDP: It isn’t up to President to decide legitimacy of Parliament’s decisions

It isn’t up to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to decide if the Parliament’s decisions are in contravention of the constitution, says Ahmed Easa, the manager for the main opposition MDP’s parliamentary elections campaign.

Easa, who serves as the parliamentary representative for Kendhikulhudhoo, made the remark in a press briefing on Thursday, after President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu questioned the legitimacy of the Parliament’s decisions in light of an earlier Supreme Court ruling.

Earlier in the day, the top court ruled that the Parliament cannot count the total seats as 80, after disregarding the seats of seven lawmakers who resigned.

President Muizzu suggested that it poses questions over the legitimacy of all recent decisions by the legislative body, including the repassage of a bill postponing the parliamentary elections.

Easa said that the president is legally-bound to ratify the bill.

“I want to say to President Muizzu that, it isn’t up to the president to make decisions regarding the passage of the bill yesterday. It is within the prerogatives of the Parliament. The Parliament has used this prerogative to make its decision. Therefore, whether to ratify the legislature or not, isn’t up to the president,” he said.

The bill, banning national elections in Ramadan, was passed for the second time on Wednesday, just two days after President Muizzu rejected the bill.

According to the constitution, if the Parliament passes a bill that is rejected by the president for a second time without any amendments, and with a clear majority of the legislative body, the president is compelled to ratify the legislature.

President Muizzu said that he has asked for counsel from Attorney General Ahmed Usham on how to deal with the bill.

“I have asked for legal counsel from the attorney general. Because a ruling such as this poses questions… regarding the legitimacy of the previous decisions,” he said.

He said that he will make his decision based on counsel from Usham, adding that he would “immediately ratify the bill if he advises as such.”

“If he counsels that the bill passed on Wednesday must be ratified, then I will immediately do so,” he said.

The parliamentary elections was scheduled for March 17th – which falls within the first week of Ramadan.

But the MDP-sponsored legislature bans national elections during Ramadan.

According to the bill, if an election date falls within Ramadan, it must be held 10 days after Ramadan ends.

The legislature was submitted citing concerns over a likely low voter turnout.