Government wants to bar soldiers from voting
Citing the need to safeguard the army from political influences, Defence Minister Adam Shareef Umar announced plans to amend the Armed Forces Act this year, prompting opposition lawmakers to denounce the move as unconstitutional.
01 Mar 2017, 9:00 AM
Defence Minister Adam Shareef Umar has announced plans to seek legal changes to bar soldiers from voting, citing the need to safeguard the army from political influences.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a military drill competition at the Kalhuthukkala barracks on Tuesday night, Shareef said the government has decided to abolish article 20 of the Armed Forces Act, which assures the right to vote for servicemen and women in the Maldives National Defence Force.
“Arranging legal matters so that soldiers can work in service of the nation while remaining free of political influences is something that we have to do,” he was quoted as saying by local media.
Stressing that soldiers should be exclusively devoted to national service, he said that discipline, ethical standards, and unity among soldiers as well as public confidence in the military have improved under the guidance of the current administration.
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