The Supreme Court ruling Supreme court ruling that disqualifies MPs who defect or violate party whip-lines and or are formally removed from their respective party would apply to independent lawmakers, state attorneys argued Wednesday.
Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) devastated by a revolt after as many as 10 lawmakers backed an opposition led move to unseat the parliament speaker Abdulla Maseeh had engineered the constitutional dispute case to prevent the MPs from defecting to the opposition.
Elections Commission had disqualified four lawmakers who were dismissed from the ruling party under the anti-defection ruling.
Thulusdhoo MP Mohamed Waheed Ibrahim , Dhidhdhoo lawmaker Abdul Latheef Mohamed, Maduvvaree MP Mohamed Ameeth and Villingili MP Saud Hussain had all challenged their disqualifications at the top court.
Latheef however was elected to the parliament as an independent candidate before he later joined PPM and his attorney on Wednesday insisted that the Supreme Court ruling had not specifically mentioned independent members.
Latheef's lawyer argued that the ruling would be limited to members elected on a political party ticket.
In response, state attorney's argued that since Latheef was a PPM member at the time of the ruling, it would apply to the Dhidhdhoo lawmaker.
The court has begun hearings on the four challenges separately but is yet to reach a verdict.
