The Parliament has published details of the Anti-Defection Bill, introduced by the opposition Maldives Democratic Party (MDP). This legislation seeks to address the persistent issue of elected officials switching allegiances post-election, a practice that has raised concerns over political stability and the authenticity of electoral mandates.
The bill, submitted by MDP’s Deputy Chairman and Baarah Constituency Member, Ahmed Abdulla, extends to a wide range of elected positions including members of Parliament, atoll councils, island councils, and Women’s Development Committees. Notably, it excludes members of city councils from its ambit.
The primary objective of the bill is to ensure that elected officials remain true to the political ideologies they represented at the time of their election, thereby preserving the trust and confidence of the electorate. This move comes in response to a significant number of defections witnessed in the current and previous legislative assemblies.
Under the proposed legislation, elected officials risk losing their seats under three main circumstances: voluntary resignation from their party, registration with another party, or, in the case of independents, joining a political party post-election.
The bill introduces a recall vote mechanism, empowering voters to decide the fate of representatives who switch affiliations or are expelled by their party. It allows for by-elections to fill vacancies created by such defections, ensuring that representation remains uninterrupted.
This legislative effort follows a tumultuous period marked by a Supreme Court ruling in 2017, which mandated the removal of MPs switching party allegiances, and the subsequent repeal of a similar law in 2018 under the Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom administration. The current proposal reflects a refined approach, aiming to balance the need for party loyalty with the democratic right of constituents to hold their representatives accountable.
Critically, the bill underscores a broader debate on the mechanisms of political accountability and the role of recall elections as a tool for maintaining electoral integrity. Internationally, practices vary, with some jurisdictions allowing direct voter recalls through petitions and others enabling legislative bodies to initiate recalls. The Maldivian context highlights the growing demand for such measures, reflecting a public desire for greater oversight of elected officials and a more stable political environment.