Amending the Constitution to empower parliament
| DATE: 2007-11-20 | PRINT | Share
The new Constitution was drafted to empower the legislative branch and establish checks and balances and powers of oversight over the executive branch. However, most clauses of the Majlis chapter failed to garner enough majority support at recent sittings of the Special Majlis.
Despite amending the constitution to lower the Majlis quorum to 25 percent attendance, a clause that requires only a majority of MPs in attendance to vote in favor for a motion to pass was not approved.
People’s Majlis Speaker, Ahmed Zahir, also supported the motion to lower Majlis quorum to 25 percent or one-fourth of MPs. Most MPs agree with Zahir that it will be very difficult to carry out the Majlis’ work without lowering the quorum requirement.
The current constitution has clauses to enable parliament to call up Ministers for questioning and impeach the President. However, some MPs opposed similar clauses in the new draft constitution when the provisions were put up for a vote during recent sittings of the Special Majlis.
Special Majlis Deputy Speaker, Shaheen Hameed, has expressed concern over the failure to approve clauses of the Majlis Chapter of the new Constitution. He said he could see no problems in the draft. Moreover, the Information Minister concurs that the clause that laid out the mechanism to impeach the President was well drafted and had no flaws. Nasheed said it was worrying that the clause did not pass. The clause failed because MPs affiliated with Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) voted against it.
DRP Parliamentary Group President and Meemu atoll MP, Aneesa Ahmed, said that DRP MPs voted against the clause because they had objections to the way the clause was drafted. DRP MPs insist that Ministers should not be brought before parliament in a Presidential system.
“What all of this goes to show is that the current government does not wish to empower people. They don’t want to be held accountable to the people,” Chairman of the Special Majlis Drafting Committee, Ibrahim “Ibra” Ismail said.
| DATE: 2007-11-20 | PRINT | Share
MPs of both the People’s Majlis and Special Majlis have always claimed that the main reason for the country’s problems is lack of parliamentary oversight. Therefore, it is necessary to amend the constitution to establish clear separation of powers. However, the spirit that prevailed during the debate on the Majlis chapter of the new Constitution was not encouraging.
The new Constitution was drafted to empower the legislative branch and establish checks and balances and powers of oversight over the executive branch. However, most clauses of the Majlis chapter failed to garner enough majority support at recent sittings of the Special Majlis.
Despite amending the constitution to lower the Majlis quorum to 25 percent attendance, a clause that requires only a majority of MPs in attendance to vote in favor for a motion to pass was not approved.
People’s Majlis Speaker, Ahmed Zahir, also supported the motion to lower Majlis quorum to 25 percent or one-fourth of MPs. Most MPs agree with Zahir that it will be very difficult to carry out the Majlis’ work without lowering the quorum requirement.
The current constitution has clauses to enable parliament to call up Ministers for questioning and impeach the President. However, some MPs opposed similar clauses in the new draft constitution when the provisions were put up for a vote during recent sittings of the Special Majlis.
Special Majlis Deputy Speaker, Shaheen Hameed, has expressed concern over the failure to approve clauses of the Majlis Chapter of the new Constitution. He said he could see no problems in the draft. Moreover, the Information Minister concurs that the clause that laid out the mechanism to impeach the President was well drafted and had no flaws. Nasheed said it was worrying that the clause did not pass. The clause failed because MPs affiliated with Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) voted against it.
DRP Parliamentary Group President and Meemu atoll MP, Aneesa Ahmed, said that DRP MPs voted against the clause because they had objections to the way the clause was drafted. DRP MPs insist that Ministers should not be brought before parliament in a Presidential system.
“What all of this goes to show is that the current government does not wish to empower people. They don’t want to be held accountable to the people,” Chairman of the Special Majlis Drafting Committee, Ibrahim “Ibra” Ismail said.
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