The Parliament Committee of the Whole House has passed to add a transitory provision to the Constitution to address the current dilemma faced regarding the term of incumbent local councillors.
The term of the councillors will expire on June 3, and a legal limbo will be caused after that as the local council election slated for April 4 has been indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has submitted a bill seeking a transitory provision to the Constitution's chapter on Decentralisation alongside a sunset law to allow for the extension of the term of incumbent councillors. The bill was drafted as per the advisory opinion of the Supreme Court.
The parliament committee on Friday passed the proposition with 63 members voting in its favour. According to the constitution, a second vote must be asked on constitutional amendments on the parliament floor.
