President ratifies fourth amendment to the Local Council Elections Act

President Abdulla Yameen has, on Wednesday, ratified the fourth amendment to the Local Council Elections Act, passed by the parliament on February 8.

The amendment allows individuals with past criminal records to run for office.

Individuals convicted and sentenced over drug trafficking can participate in the council elections, seven years after serving their sentence, or seven years after being given clemency by the government. It states that individuals convicted of a sentence longer than a year, excluding serious offences, can only contest three years after having served their sentence.

The amendment does not allow individuals who have committed rape or child abuse to participate in the council elections, noted the President's Office in a press release issued on Wednesday.

Upon ratification, the Act has now been published on the Government Gazette.

Opposition on the amendment

Parliament passed the fourth amendment to the Local Council Elections Act on February 8

When submitted to the parliament floor, the amendment sparked tense debate, with opposition parliamentarians voicing concern over allowing 'thieves and rapists' into the local government.

Opposition MPs maintained that this was "unacceptable," describing it as an attempt to further increase the government's unlawful activities.

In a statement issued on Monday, the largest opposition party in the country, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said that the amendment "is an injustice to the people."

The Local Council Elections has been postponed twice, and is now scheduled for April 15. Initially set for January 14, it was first postponed to April 4, and then later to April 15, as schools were not available to hold the polls for the day. EC says that Education Ministry had requested for a delay, a claim that had not been corroborated by the Ministry.

The elections were postponed by the Civil Court, who ordered that council elections be delayed as sought by President Abdulla Yameen's faction of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) filed a case, claiming it was unable to prepare on time due differences within the party. The ruling PPM has been divided into two factions, as President Yameen continues to be involved in a public battle with the party leader, his half-brother and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

MDP, in its statement noted that it "sees the various delays to the council elections with the use of state institutions- due to the fact that President Abdulla Yameen’s faction of the Progressive Party of Maldives was unable to prepare on time- as an infringement upon the people’s rights to a free and fair election."

In addition, President Maumoon's daughter, Yumna Maumoon, via twitter, said that the bill was against the party's spirit, and that it contradicted its principles.