Parliament Tuesday accepted the amendment to relax the eligibility criteria for candidates contesting in local council elections.
The amendment was accepted with the vote of 41 MPs, with 23 members against. The bill has now been sent to the National Security Committee for review.
The controversial amendment had sought to remove a clause in the local council Act which states a full time student or a convicted felon would be ineligible for candidature in the elections.
The amendment would also enable a foreigner who has obtained Maldives citizenship to contest if the candidate resides in the Maldives and has citizenship for a minimum five years.
Some government lawmakers during the debate stage had expressed grave concern over the amendment and vowed to bring numerous alterations to the final draft of the bill at the committee stage.
