MPs begin submitting amendments to Constitution's Chapter on President
| DATE: 2008-01-14 | PRINT | Share
When the interim constitutional assembly, the People's Majlis, started its sittings yesterday after a one-month recess, MPs submitted some 18 amendments.
A heated debate followed on the second Clause of the Chapter which dictates the period of Presidential terms.
The current Clause states that a Presidential term will consist of five years, and that any person who has been President for two terms, regardless of whether the terms were performed consecutively or not, cannot stand for President again. The Clause also states that a person who has already been President for two terms cannot stand for re-election. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has already served as President for six consecutive terms, has already expressed intention of running in this year's Presidential Elections as well to oversee what he calls the completion of his democratic Reform Agenda of 2004.
Ruling Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party MPs have asked to remove the Clause while Presidential appointee to the Majlis Mohamed Saleem said that the Clause should be amended to state that any person who has served two terms under a new amended Constitution cannot serve for more than two terms.
MPs said that they have already approved the second Clause which states the period of a Presidential term and the third Clause which specifies the way the President will be elected.
Raa atoll MP Ali Waheed, Laamu atoll MP Moosa Maniku, Meemu atoll MP Ahmed Shafeeq and Haa Alifu atoll MP Ahmed Sameer said that with the adoption of the second Clause of the Chapter on the Amendment of the Constitution, those two Clauses on the Chapter on the President would automatically have to be adopted.
The second Clause of the Chapter on Constitutional Amendment states that even though the People's Majlis, the Parliament, amends the second and third Clauses of the Chapter on the President, it has to be approved through a public vote.
The amendment proposed by Male MP Ahmed Athif to the fourth Clause of the Chapter on the President, which describes the characteristics that have to be fulfilled by a person serving in his or her capacity as President, states that in addition to the President being required to be a Muslim, he or she should also not have accepted any honors relating to another religion. The issue of President Gayoom accepting the Grand Cross of St Michael and St George (GCMG) honor from Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has been made a big issue by opposition parties.
Some 109 amendments have been proposed to the Chapter on the President. However, some MPs have withdrawn their amendments. This includes an amendment proposed by Legal Reform and Information Minister Mohamed Nasheed aimed at preventing anyone married to a foreigner from becoming President. The amendment sparked controversy when former Attorney General Dr. Hassan Saeed, who left the Cabinet last year accusing President Gayoom of dragging his feet on reform, contested the amendment as he is married to a Malaysian and has expressed intention of running in this year's Presidential elections.
At yesterday's sitting, debate first started on the draft oaths; after half an hour of debate, the Majlis decided to refer the matter back to the Drafting Committee.
| DATE: 2008-01-14 | PRINT | Share
MALE, January 14, 2008 (Haveeru News Service) -- MPs yesterday started submitting amendments to the Chapter on the President in the Constitution.
When the interim constitutional assembly, the People's Majlis, started its sittings yesterday after a one-month recess, MPs submitted some 18 amendments.
A heated debate followed on the second Clause of the Chapter which dictates the period of Presidential terms.
The current Clause states that a Presidential term will consist of five years, and that any person who has been President for two terms, regardless of whether the terms were performed consecutively or not, cannot stand for President again. The Clause also states that a person who has already been President for two terms cannot stand for re-election. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has already served as President for six consecutive terms, has already expressed intention of running in this year's Presidential Elections as well to oversee what he calls the completion of his democratic Reform Agenda of 2004.
Ruling Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party MPs have asked to remove the Clause while Presidential appointee to the Majlis Mohamed Saleem said that the Clause should be amended to state that any person who has served two terms under a new amended Constitution cannot serve for more than two terms.
MPs said that they have already approved the second Clause which states the period of a Presidential term and the third Clause which specifies the way the President will be elected.
Raa atoll MP Ali Waheed, Laamu atoll MP Moosa Maniku, Meemu atoll MP Ahmed Shafeeq and Haa Alifu atoll MP Ahmed Sameer said that with the adoption of the second Clause of the Chapter on the Amendment of the Constitution, those two Clauses on the Chapter on the President would automatically have to be adopted.
The second Clause of the Chapter on Constitutional Amendment states that even though the People's Majlis, the Parliament, amends the second and third Clauses of the Chapter on the President, it has to be approved through a public vote.
The amendment proposed by Male MP Ahmed Athif to the fourth Clause of the Chapter on the President, which describes the characteristics that have to be fulfilled by a person serving in his or her capacity as President, states that in addition to the President being required to be a Muslim, he or she should also not have accepted any honors relating to another religion. The issue of President Gayoom accepting the Grand Cross of St Michael and St George (GCMG) honor from Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has been made a big issue by opposition parties.
Some 109 amendments have been proposed to the Chapter on the President. However, some MPs have withdrawn their amendments. This includes an amendment proposed by Legal Reform and Information Minister Mohamed Nasheed aimed at preventing anyone married to a foreigner from becoming President. The amendment sparked controversy when former Attorney General Dr. Hassan Saeed, who left the Cabinet last year accusing President Gayoom of dragging his feet on reform, contested the amendment as he is married to a Malaysian and has expressed intention of running in this year's Presidential elections.
At yesterday's sitting, debate first started on the draft oaths; after half an hour of debate, the Majlis decided to refer the matter back to the Drafting Committee.
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