Government wants to decrease MPs to 70

Many MPs representing ruling PNC, on Tuesday, have spoken out in support on capping the number of parliamentarians at 70 as a solution to bring a halt to the increase in the number of parliamentarians with each new assembly.

Article 71 of the Maldivian Constitution states two parliamentarians must be allocated for the first 5,000 residents registered for each administrative division and one additional parliamentarian for each 5,000 residents in excess of the initial 5,000 residents in each administrative division.

It also states that two parliamentarians must be allocated for each administrative division with less than 5,000 residents. As a result, the number of parliamentarians continues to increase with each new assembly, to reflect the increase in population.

Subsequently, ruling PNC's Parliamentary Group’s Senior Deputy Leader and Baarah MP Ibrahim Shujau has submitted a resolution to the parliament on last Wednesday which seeks opinion on bringing an end to the rising numbers of parliamentarians in each assembly and reducing the number of parliamentarians.

While debating on the resolution at today’s parliamentary sitting, Parliament’s Deputy Speaker, Dhiggaru Ahmed Nazim underscored he was a part of the assembly which wrote in the provision. However, he stressed the implementation was contradictory to the debate that had taken place back then.  

Nazim added that 209 parliamentarians will need to be elected in 2029 if the provision remains, and 115 parliamentarians in 2033.

“This is not a feasible amount. The main issue here is the provision which states there should be a parliamentarian for every 5,000 people. We have to research how this has been done in foreign nations. This is an issue other foreign nations have faced and resolved,” Nazim stressed.

Henceforth, Nazim cited the need to research the formula utilized by other nations concerning the matter, and its subsequent implementation. He estimated that the number of parliamentarians will be capped between 73 and 80 if such a formula is implemented.

In this regard, he detailed a possible solution by amending Article 71 of the Constitution to read 10,000 in place of 5,000 which would reduce the number of parliamentarians in addition to controlling the amount of parliamentarians in the 70s range for the next 25 years.

He called on the current parliamentary assembly to take the historic decision, citing the need for the Maldives to shape matters in a feasible manner.

Meanwhile, South Maafannu MP Abdulla Rifau, referencing Article 71, said 5,000 residents was a small population and, in this trajectory, expressed confidence in servicing a larger population than this.

Most MPs representing PNC had spoken in favor of Shujau’s resolution and concurred with Nazim’s remarks.

Shujau, in his resolution, underscored various amendments submitted to the parliament previously, seeking to reduce the number of parliamentarians, that did not receive support from parliamentarians. Thus, he called on the parliamentarians in the current assembly to debate on the topic to the greatest extent possible, and express their hoenst opinion. 

The 17^th parliamentary assembly had 77 MPs, while the 18^th assembly and the 19^th assembly had 85 and 87 MPs respectively. The ongoing 20^th assembly of the parliament has a record 93 MPs.

The reduction of parliamentarians is part of the current administration’s legislative agenda.