The opposition coalition has revealed that they do not support amending the constitution to extend the term of incumbent councillors. The term of existing councillors will expire in June, and local council election slated for April 4 has been postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic.
A joint statement issued by Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and People’s National Congress (PNC) stated that the main-ruling party Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) is taking undue advantage of having a super majority at the parliament in the ongoing work of amending the constitution. The opposition stated that as per the rules of the parliament, the parliament can only amend or modify the proposed bills or amendments.
The opposition further said the best course of action in the current situation would be to propose a new bill to the parliament based on the legal advice from the Supreme Court.
The opposition also raised their concerns over the propositions on the councils' roles in the new bill seeking to amend the constitution to extend the term of the current councillors. PPM/PNC said despite taking ample time, the parliament has been unable to provide a solution due to the negligence of the leadership of the parliament.
Senior officials fo opposition coalition
