Amendment Bill to Prison and Parole Act passed

The parliament has, with 40 votes in favour, passed a Bill on Amendment to the Prison and Parole Act.

The bill disqualifies former President Mohamed Nasheed as the President of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), but allows him to be a member of the party.

This bill, when first proposed by the government, stated that a person executing a prison sentence cannot be a member of a political party.

This amendment which disqualified Nasheed as a member of MDP, was passed by the parliament but not ratified by the President.

The President sent the bill back to the parliament for reconsideration.

The government has maintained that the purpose of the bill was not to disqualify Nasheed as the President of MDP.

Gemanafushi MP Jameel Usman, who submitted the bill to the parliament on behalf of the government, said that the bill contains many amendments aimed at protecting the rights of prisoners and arrestees.