Latheef pushes to amend Constitution to ban ex-presidents from Parliament

Jumhoory Party (JP) lawmaker, MP Abdul Latheef Mohamed has submitted legislation to reform the Maldivian Constitution to disqualify former presidents from contesting for the Parliament.

Dhidhdhoo MP Latheef had originally submitted legislation to amend the Elections Act in order to disqualify former presidents from the Parliament. But the disqualification of former presidents from the Parliament requires amendment to the Constitution, and the lawmaker submitted legislation to reform the Constitution last Monday.

Speaking in an earlier interview to ‘Sun’, Latheef said the State already spent generously on former presidents, and found it unseemly for former presidents to go on to assume a lower public service post.

He said he does not support any former president becoming a lawmaker, whether it is former President Mohamed Nasheed or former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.

Nasheed, the Leader of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is the party’s Central Machangolhi candidate for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, Yameen, the Leader of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has neither confirmed nor denied plans to contest for the Parliament.

The parliamentary group of JP has distanced itself from the decision by Latheef to submit the legislation, with parliamentary group leader, Kinbidhoo MP Abdulla Riyaz declaring the legislation was neither discussed nor endorsed by the group.