MDP Conditionally Supports Reducing the Number of Parliament Members

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has expressed support for the government's proposal to reduce the number of members in the People's Majlis (Parliament). However, the MDP has stipulated certain conditions that must be met before implementing this change.

During a meeting of the Committee on Independent Institutions to review the government's resolution, MDP spokesperson Anas Abdulsattar stated that the party supports the idea of reducing the number of parliament members.

Nevertheless, he emphasized that this change should only be implemented after extensive consultations with all political parties and civil society organizations.

MDP's Legal Director, Mahfooz Saeed, stressed that any amendment to reduce the number of members should not compromise the representation of the people. He also cautioned that the total number of parliament members should not be reduced to a point where it could be easily controlled by a single entity or individual.

The government's resolution proposes reducing the number of parliament members to 77. Currently, the constitution stipulates that there should be one member for every 5,000 citizens. The government argues that the increasing number of members has become a financial burden on the state.

Mahfooz Saeed also highlighted the importance of understanding the original rationale behind the current constitutional provision. He explained that the drafters of the constitution had determined 5,000 citizens as the optimal number for a member to consult with when drafting laws. However, he noted that in practice, members rarely consult with their constituents when making laws.

The government's approach of presenting a resolution to gather opinions, rather than directly proposing a constitutional amendment, was praised by the MDP representatives.

The Majlis has now opened the resolution for public comment, seeking citizens' opinions on the proposed change.

This development marks a potential area of agreement between the government and the opposition on a significant constitutional matter, albeit with conditions from the opposition party.