Leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC) parliamentary group and Inguraidhoo MP, Ibrahim Falah, has stated that Members of Parliament who obstruct police duties should lose their seats. He added that amendments to the law are needed to enforce such measures.

Falah’s remarks came in response to allegations made by a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP, who claimed that police had used force against participants of an MDP protest held during the debate on the Land Transport Act bill submitted by North Galolhu MP Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudoo).

Describing the protest as “dangerous”, Falah alleged that some MDP parliamentarians had confronted the police. He noted the case of Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir, who, he said, had entered a barricaded area from the south side of the parliament building and was stopped by police.

Falah argued that laws, parliament regulations, and the Constitution must be amended to ensure that MPs who confront police or commit crimes such as obstruction of duty lose their seats.

At present, parliamentarians lose their seats if they are sentenced to one year or more in prison for a criminal offence, or if they resign or leave the political party through which they were elected.