Voting on bill to restrict age for running for president and VP, scheduled for tomorrow

Voting on the Amendment Bill to the Constitution proposing to restrict the age for running for president and vice president to between 30 and 65 has been put on the agenda of tomorrow’s parliament sitting.

Tomorrow’s parliament sitting is set to begin at 10:30 a.m., and one of the three items on the agenda is the presentation of the Amendment Bill to Article 109 of the Constitution, submitted by Hoarafushi MP Mohamed Ismail.

After it is presented, MPs will debate on the bill and voting will take place if the debate is concluded in time.

Presently, there is no upper age limit for running for president. Article 109 of the Constitution states that a person elected as president shall be at least of 35 years of age. As for the vice president, Article 112 states that the qualifications shall be the same as those for the president.

Amendments to the Constitution require three-fourth votes in favour, which means 64 out of 85 MPs should support the bill for it to be passed.

The 49 MPs of government coalition parties Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and Maldivian Development Alliance (MDA), have decided to vote in favour of the bill.

Also, Leader of Jumhooree Party (JP), Gasim Ibrahim, has urged its members to support the bill. JP is represented in the parliament by 11 MPs.

This would bring the total votes in favour to 60.

The bill therefore requires four votes from the opposition to be passed.

If passed, this amendment means that former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Jumhooree Party (JP) Leader Gasim Ibrahim will no longer be able to run for president. Gayoom will turn 77 and Gasim 65 this year.

The second and third items on the agenda of tomorrow’s parliament sitting are the First Readings of the Amendment Bill to the Land Transport Act, and the Disaster Management Bill.