MDP proposes to include chapter on interim govt

17 November 2007
Report: Soodh

The main opposition party, MDP, has proposed to include a chapter in the revised constitution on the transitional arrangements for the implementation of the revised constitution. MDP further proposes that the chapter should include interim arrangements for governance during the transitional period.

MDP made the proposal at a media briefing held by the party on last Thursday.

MDP has released a guide line that may be followed to establish the transitional arrangements. According the guide line chapter on transitional government will come in to force once the present constitution is dissolved and when the revised constitution come in to effect.

The guide line states that the state shall be governed as specified in the Chapter on transitional arrangements until Presidential and Parliamentary elections are held under the revised constitution and until the newly elected officials assume their offices.

In the proposal MDP states that Presidential and Parliamentary elections under the revised constitution should be held with the participation of all parties and those elected should assume office their respective office within 12 months from the date the revised constitution came in to force. Further the guideline states that the transitional government and the arrangements provided for in the proposed chapter of the revised constitution shall come to an end once the elected officials assume their offices.

MDP has stipulated how a transitional government may be managed in their guidelines.

The guideline proposed states the revised constitution should be ratified and should come in to force on the 1January 2008 and the existing constitution should be annulled when the revised constitution come in to force. Further it calls for an establishment of an interim government, once the revised constitution comes in to effect. The interim government as stipulated in the proposed chapter should establish independent commissions and appointments and that these commissions and appointments should be interim commissions and appointments and that they shall hold office until the first elected government form such commissions and appointments the guide line stipulates.

In addition the proposal stipulates in the functioning of the interim government, how members of the Citizen’s Majlis, the Cabinet Members, the head of the interim government, the Chief Justice, the Atoll Chiefs and Independent Commissions may be nominated and how they shall function.

Chairmen of the Drafting Committee Ibrahim Ismail when asked on the to comment on the issue, said after the constitutional reform is completed, the commission to oversee the presidential election, the date of annulment of the present constitution, the date when the revised constitution shall come in to force is all included in the chapter on Application and construction of Law.