PNC split over proposal for referendum vote before MPs lose seats

Members of the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) are divided over a proposed constitutional amendment that would require a constituency-wide vote before an MP can be removed for switching parties or being expelled.

The Constitution was amended late last year to make MPs automatically lose their seats if they cross the floor or are expelled from their parties.

However, an amendment submitted on behalf of the government by PNC MP for Baarah, Ibrahim Shujau seeks to lay out the procedure for removal. Under his proposal, an MP would only lose their seat if a majority of voters in their constituency support it in a yes/no referendum.

Shujau described the proposal as a way of “empowering the people,” saying it reflects President Mohamed Muizzu’s view that voters should have the final say, even in cases of party expulsion.

However, the idea drew resistance from some PNC members. Parliamentary Group Leader, Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah, said the Constitution is already clear and that an MP who leaves their party vacates their seat. Any MP who believes their constituents still support them should simply face re-election, he said.

"I have no problem if the party I was elected through expels me when it feels I have betrayed it. I have confidence in myself," he said.

Fonadhoo MP Mohamed Mamdhooh also opposed the change, stating that holding multiple constituency referendums would substantially increase state expenditure. He estimated that elections held mid-term could cost MVR 200–300 million over five years, diverting funds from essential services.

Other PNC MPs backed the proposal.

Hithadhoo Central MP Ahmed Azaan said it would strengthen accountability by giving constituents the power to directly remove MPs. He argued that the change would “set a democratic example” internationally.

MP Shujau also called for the abolition of the atoll council system.

Several PNC MPs supported dismantling atoll councils, saying the councils are costly and ineffective, and that local governance should be strengthened at the island level instead.

Opposition MDP MPs rejected the proposal to abolish atoll councils but acknowledged that constituency referendums on MPs could be a positive democratic tool.

However, they criticized the decision to bundle the referendum mechanism and the atoll council abolition into a single constitutional amendment, saying it forced MPs to choose between provisions they supported and those they did not.