The Maldives is in the middle of a big fight over its courts and Constitution. Right now, the Supreme Court is looking at a case about a new rule added on November 20. This rule says Members of Parliament (MPs) can lose their seats in three new situations—like if their political party kicks them out. It was passed super fast, and many people aren’t happy about it.
Now, the ruling party, the People’s National Congress (PNC), wants to make another big change. They’ve suggested a bill to cut down the number of Supreme Court justices. This comes at a bad time, say the opposition parties—the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Democrats. They’re calling it a dangerous move by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to control everything.
The MDP spoke out on Sunday night. They said the President is trying to break the rules that keep the government, Parliament, and courts separate. “This is a bold move to weaken the courts and grab more power,” the MDP warned. They’re also upset because, on the same day, Muizzu picked Yazmeed Mohamed for the Judicial Service Commission (JSC)—the group that watches over judges. The problem? Yazmeed has no experience with law. The MDP thinks this is a trick to scare the Supreme Court while it decides an important case.
The Democrats agree. On Monday morning, they said this is “court packing”—a way for the government to boss the judges around. “This hurts the balance that keeps our democracy alive,” they said. Both parties want the PNC to stop this bill and respect the Constitution instead of using its big majority in Parliament to push things through.
The bill says the JSC can tell Parliament to remove Supreme Court justices if they think the justices aren’t doing a good job. Parliament would need a two-thirds vote to agree. If the bill passes, the JSC has five days to name who they want out, and Parliament gets seven days to decide. The Supreme Court now has seven justices: Chief Justice Ahmed Muthasim Adnan, Dr. Azmiralda Zahir, Aisha Shujoon Mohamed, Mahaz Ali Zahir, Husnu Al-Suood, Ali Rasheed Hussain, and Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim.
For weeks, the MDP has been saying the government wants to fire some justices to win the case about the new MP rule. They’re worried this could ruin the Maldives’ democracy, which took years to build. The opposition says the courts must stay free to do their job—otherwise, the whole system falls apart. Will the government listen and pull back? That’s what many Maldivians are asking right now.
