Police on Monday refused to comment on a verbal threat issued by a ruling party activist on an opposition lawmaker last week.
During a ruling party rally in Gaaf Alif Atoll Villingili island last week, a political appointee had threatened to "chop Villingili MP Saud Hussain to pieces" even if he looks at him the wrong way after the former government MP had vowed to defeat incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom in a free and fair elections.
Repeated attempts to contact the police spokesperson have failed and police are yet to even confirm whether the threat would be investigated.
Saud's lawyer meanwhile had vowed to do whatever it took to get the authorities to probe the threat. The united opposition had also urged the authorities to investigate the threat and take action against the activist.
Saud is one of the dozen government lawmakers to be disqualified over the controversial anti-defection ruling after backing an opposition led move to unseat the parliament speaker last year.
The ruling party has now passed brought in a anti-defection law devised to disqualify the rouge lawmakers.
The draft law was submitted in the wake of a top court stay order the relevant institutions to hold off on the reinstatement of a dozen opposition lawmakers disqualified over an earlier anti-defection ruling.
The island nation has been embroiled in fresh political turmoil after the Supreme Court on February 1 ordered the immediate release of jailed political leaders including self-exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed.
The court had also annulled its anti-defection ruling and ordered the country's electoral watchdog to re-instate the dozen rebel government lawmakers disqualified over the ruling. The Supreme Court said the anti-defection ruling was issued as a temporary solution to the constitutional dispute case filed by the state but insisted that the relevant authorities have failed to bring to effect an anti-defection law specified in the ruling.
After the government controlled parliament voted to accept the draft law, the parliamentary committee had revised it to make it effective from July 13, 2017 - the same day the top court had issued its original anti-defection ruling.
The law was passed by 36 votes amid the continued boycott by opposition lawmakers.
According to the draft law, lawmakers elected on party tickets would lose their respective seats if they quit, change or are dismissed from the party. However, the law would not apply to independent members if they sign for a particular party.
The law also does not apply to lawmakers for violating party whip-lines or are penalized by a party for disciplinary violations.
