Opposition leader and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail has accused President Mohamed Muizzu of attempting to paralyse the Supreme Court by exerting influence over the judiciary.
Ismail, in a post on X on Saturday night, claimed the government was using its supermajority in Parliament to weaken the Supreme Court.
“After taking the powers of Parliament into his hands, President Muizzu is now trying to use that power to paralyse the Supreme Court. The people will not allow anyone to disrupt the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.
His remarks came after the MDP issued a statement alleging that the government is planning to remove three Supreme Court judges and appoint individuals loyal to the administration.
“The government is now planning to remove three judges of the Supreme Court and appoint the current Prosecutor General Abbas Shareef to fill the vacancies, as well as two others who are currently holding political positions in this government,” the MDP statement read.
The party also accused the government of attempting to influence the Supreme Court ahead of an upcoming case challenging a recent constitutional amendment that would result in the removal of members of Parliament if they are expelled from the party under which they were elected.
The amendment was passed in under 24 hours after it was proposed, a move the opposition claims is against the spirit of the Constitution.
The government has not publicly responded to the allegations.