Main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Wednesday lambasted the government for spearheading a move to relax the eligibility criteria for candidates contesting in local council elections months before a scheduled elections.
During the parliament sitting on Wednesday, 46 lawmakers voted in favour while 19 were against the amendment which had been signed off by the parliamentary national security committee on Tuesday which had addressed some concerns raised during the debate stage.
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.
Following concerns even by government lawmakers on Tuesday, the parliamentary committee had brought several amendments to the proposed bill.
The amendments would prevent convicted sex offenders from contesting the elections while convicted drug traffickers would only be eligible, seven years after serving a sentence. A person convicted of any other offence sentenced more than 12 months would be eligible to contest, three years after serving the sentence.
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.
Despite heavily criticizing the amendment proposed by a government lawmaker, opposition MPs had voted to pass the bill at the committee stage.
If the amendment is ratified by the president, the new criteria for councilors would apply to the upcoming local council elections slated for April 15.
MDP parliamentary group in a statement condemned the move to revise the criteria for candidates months before the elections.
The move would be unfair for the candidates who had already filed candidacies, the statement read accusing the government of impeding the chances of a free and fair elections.
