News Desk
MALE’, Maldives — The government’s bill to remove two Supreme Court justices and reduce the number of justices from seven to five passed today in a dramatic vote on the Majlis floor, capping days of high-stakes political maneuvering and exposing deep rifts in this island nation’s fragile democracy. The measure, pushed through by the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PNC), squeaked by despite fierce opposition, with 68 members—all from the PNC, which dominates both parliament and the government—voting in favor. Eight members of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and one independent stood against it, while Hithadhoo Central Constituency MP Ahmed Azan slipped out of the chamber as the vote began, a quiet protest of his own.
The bill, introduced just two nights ago by PNC MP Abdul Sattar Mohammed, barreled through the legislative process at breakneck speed, landing on the floor this morning after a contentious debate that saw tempers flare and opposition members ejected. Its passage marks a bold move by the PNC to reshape the judiciary—a branch of government that has long been a battleground in the Maldives’ turbulent political saga.
At the heart of the controversy is a letter from Fatimath Filza, the Majlis counsel general, who raised pointed questions about the bill’s legality and fairness in a note to the Judiciary Committee. Filza warned that sidelining the Judicial Service Commission (JSC)—the body tasked with investigating judicial misconduct—before it had even taken up a case against the Supreme Court justices could undermine the rule of law. “The process of removing a judge begins when a disciplinary matter is submitted to the JSC or when such an allegation comes to their attention,” she wrote, citing existing statutes. She also flagged a curious provision: the bill doesn’t challenge the idea that judges deemed incompetent by the JSC should still receive special benefits if they exit “with honor”—a detail that has critics crying foul over potential backroom deals.
Under the new law, the JSC must now pick the two justices to be axed and send their names to parliament within five days of the bill taking effect—a tight timeline that has fueled suspicions of political meddling.
The opposition MDP has accused the PNC of rushing the bill to stack the court in its favor, a charge that gained traction as the Majlis descended into chaos today.
The Judiciary Committee, stacked with PNC loyalists, brushed aside Filza’s concerns yesterday in an emergency session called by PNC MP Ali Fazad. Six PNC members voted to dismiss her objections, while two MDP members opposed the move. Hura MP Anara Naeem, a PNC member, abstained—a rare crack in party unity that went unexplained. Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir, an MDP firebrand, tried to force the issue onto the floor today, arguing that the counsel general’s warnings deserved a full airing. The Speaker ignored him, letting the debate steamroll ahead.
The session hit a boiling point when MDP members, livid over the bill’s implications, erupted in protest. Several were forcibly removed from the chamber, their names read aloud in a roll call of dissent that rang out like a political death knell.
For the PNC, the bill is a triumph of raw parliamentary power, cementing its grip on the Maldives’ institutions. But for the MDP and its allies, it’s a dangerous precedent, one that threatens to erode judicial independence in a country where democracy has often hung by a thread. The Judiciary Committee churned through its review of the bill in a mere hour, sending a report to the floor. MDP lawmakers are digging in, warning that the government’s haste betrays an intent to bend the courts to its will.
As the dust settles, the Maldives finds itself at a crossroads. The JSC’s next move—naming the two judges to be cut—will either calm the waters or pour fuel on an already raging fire. For now, the Majlis floor remains a stage for high drama, with the echoes of today’s vote reverberating far beyond the shores.
