| Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the Maldives | |
|---|---|
| People's Majlis | |
| Territorial extent | Maldives |
| Enacted by | People's Majlis |
| Enacted | 20 November 2024 |
| Assented to by | President Mohamed Muizzu |
| Assented to | 20 November 2024 |
| Legislative history | |
| Bill title | Bill on amendment to the Constitution |
| Introduced by | Mohamed Shahid |
| Introduced | 20 November 2024 |
| Voting summary |
|
| Status: Current legislation | |
The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the Maldives was amended on 20 November 2024. This amendment was met with criticism from the Maldivian public and NGOs.
The bill was sponsored on behalf of the government by Mohamed Shahid, a People's National Congress (ruling party) member. [1] The bill was passed at 20 November 2024, with an overwhelming majority of 78-13. [2] It was later signed into law in under nine hours by president Mohamed Muizzu in the same day. [3] [4]
Many supporters of the government praised the amendment, including president Muizzu, saying that it was "important decisions for the independence, sovereignty, development and stability of Maldives". [4] [5]
The opposition had said that the bill ignored due process and without consulting with the public, and was submitted late at night so that there was no time for debating among parliament members. [4] Many NGOs made a joint press release, giving concern about this amendment and the hasty process this bill went through to get passed. [6] A case was filed in the Supreme Court seeking to annul the amendment, later which the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) joined. [7] [8]