Parliamentary Group of the Jumhooree Party has rejected the amendment submitted by the Hoarafushi constituency MP, Mohamed Ismail which calls to set the maximum age limit as a requirement for Presidential candidates.
The PG group’s Deputy leader Abdulla Riyaz stated that Jumhooree Party made this decision with the unanimous agreement of the PG group.
“Dhangethi constituency MP Ilham Ahmed did not participate in the meeting because he is not in Male’ at the moment. However Ilham also supports this decision of the PG group,” he said.
Abdulla Riyaz said that the PG group of the Jumhooree Party believes that this amendment is against democratic principles as no country has set such a maximum age limit for presidential candidates.
Kendhoo constituency MP Ali Hussein said that this amendment is also a violation of the article 16 of the constitution which states “(a) This Constitution guarantees to all persons, in a manner that is not contrary to any tenet of Islam, the rights and freedoms contained within this Chapter, subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by a law enacted by the People’s Majlis in a manner that is not contrary to this Constitution. Any such law enacted by the People’s Majlis can limit the rights and freedoms to any extent only if demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. (b) The limitation of a right or freedom specified in this Chapter by a law enacted by the People’s Majlis as provided for in this Constitution, and in order to protect and maintain the tenets of Islam, shall not be contrary to article (a). (c) In deciding whether a right or freedom in this Chapter, has been limited in accordance with article (a) and (b), a court must be fully cognisant of and make reference to all the facts, including: 1. the nature and character of the right or freedom; 2. the purpose and importance of limiting the right or freedom; 3. the extent and manner of limiting the right or freedom; 4. the relationship between the limitation of the right or freedom and the importance of the right or freedom; 5. the extent to which the objective for which the right or freedom has been limited could have been achieved by limiting the right or freedom to a lesser degree; 6. the extent to which the right or freedom must be limited in order to protect the tenets of Islam, where the right or freedom has been limited pursuant to article (b). (d) The onus of establishing that the limitation to any extent, of a right or freedom included in this Chapter is within the reasonable limitations prescribed in this Constitution is on the State or the person asserting the limitation of the right or freedom.”
JP rejects setting max age limit
