559
14,771
PUBLIC
PECORD OFFICE
Reference -
C.O.882 22/12
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE. LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE RF REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- [COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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Article 20. Maldivian subjects are prohibited from permanently domiciling here- after in a foreign State.
Article 21. Any person suffering from any injustice is at liberty to appeal to the highest authority.
Article 22. Every public servant having served Government for twenty-five years, is entitled to get a pension equalling half of his salary.
Article 23.
Rules of the Government.
All the powers of legislation are vested in the people and shall be carried out by the following executive authorities :--
(1) H.H. the Sultan.
(2) The Council of Ministers.
(3) The Legislative Council.
(4) The Peoples Council or Peoples Assembly.
Article 24.
Qualifications Necessary for a Ruler.
(1) He must be a Muslim.
(2) He must be of Sunni sect.
(3) He must not have been implicated in a court of Shariat law by which
he had been found guilty.
(4) Must be a male.
(6) He must be 17 years of age.
(6) He must be of sound mind.
(7) He must be a free man.
(8) He must possess the five senses.
(9) He must be able to read and write Maldivian.
(10) He must be strong in body and be able to take part in the administration
of public affairs.
(11) He must be a son of the last Sultan, or a grandson in the male line of a Sultan descended from Sultan Ghazi Hassan Izzuddin Bin Al-Wazir Mohammad Famu Deri Manikufanu of Hura.
Rules for the Election of a Ruler.
Article 25. The Council of Ministers, Members of the Legislative Council, the nobles, the learned and the leaders of Malé should assemble at the Palace and hold a special meeting for the purpose of electing a ruler, after deliberating as to the fitness of the candidates, the sense of the meeting should be taken. When two-thirds of the members are agreed upon a suitable candidate, the army, the men of the four wards of Malé, people of other islands then residing at Malé and in the Harbour should be summoned by beating of drums.
The Council of Ministers should then inform those who had been summoned as to the decision arrived at by the special meeting, and when the people signify their approval of the candidate selected by the special meeting then the approved candidate should be declared elected as ruler.
The new Sultan should then take the oath of his High Office, in the presence of the members of the special meeting, agreeing to be faithful to the religion of Islam, uphold the Constitution of the Maldives, and govern the kingdom in accordance with the regu- lations established by law and rule justly, without fear or favour; thereupon the members of the special meeting shall take their oaths of allegiance to the Sultan, and he is thereafter the great Maha Radun or (the full-fledged Sultan).
Article 26. The Sultan is the supreme head of the Government. He is incapable of harming and is protected by law in being harmed.
Article 27. The right of assenting to Bills and the chief administrative authority is vested in the Sultan.
•
Article 28. The ordinary regulations passed by the Legislative Council and sub- mitted to the Sultan's approval, should generally be approved.
Article 29. The Sultan has the power of once sending back certain Bills passed and submitted to him by the Legislative Council for its reconsideration.
The Bills referred to above are:-
(a) Any Bill affecting the rights of the Constitution and the Royal Prerogative.
(b) Any Bill infringing the Treaty between the Governments of the Maldives
and Great Britain.
Article 39. The Sultan, will not give his assent to the following classes of Bills submitted to him for approval:
:-
(a) Any Bill affecting the currency of the Island.
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Any Bill imposing differential duties.
(c) Any Bill affecting the existing Treaty with England.
(d) Any Bill interfering with the discipline or control of His Highness' land and
sea forces.
(e) Any Bill affecting the property rights of the Maldivians residing in Maldives
or out of it.
Any Bill imposing differential treatment on foreigners residing within the territories of the Maldives.
(g) Any Bill whereby the rights and privileges of the public servants may be
prejudiced.
(h) Any Bill relating to questions of defence, public security, or any matter affecting naval, military, or volunteers, or affecting trade, docks, harbours, shipping, lands and buildings of naval and military interests.
(1) Any Bill affecting the administration of justice within the Islands.
Any Bill which will give a right for foreigners to own properties in the
Maldive Islands.
(k) Any Bill which will give a right to foreigners to trade in any island except
at Malé.
(1) Any Bill affecting the Constitution of the Maldives.
Article 31. Any Bill passed by the Legislative Council and submitted to the Sultan
for his assent, is not approved by him, and is not sent back to the Council within one month of its passing, it will be considered as approved by the Sultan and will become law.
Article 32. If a Bill sent back to the Council is not passed by a two-thirds majority, it should then be considered at the annual meeting of the Peoples Assembly where, if it is passed by a two-thirds majority, the Sultan shall give his assent to it, but if it is not passed by a two-thirds majority in the Peoples Assembly, then the Bill will be considered as null and void.
Article 33. If the Legislative Council insists on the Sultan giving assent to any of the Bills mentioned under Articles 29 and 30 or if the Council by a two-thirds majority requests the Sultan for some reasons or other to dissolve the Council for a certain period or if the period of the existence of the Council has come to an end, the Sultan has the right of dissolving it and summoning a new Council by a written decree.
The duration between the dismissal of a Council and the summoning of a new Council shall not be more than one month.
Article 34. The Sultan has the right to summon meetings of the Councils of Ministers and of the Legislative Councils for considerations of urgent matters of State Article 35. In the interval between the dissolution of the Legislative Council, and the formation of a new Council, the Sultan has the right of getting emergency measures passed by the Council of Ministers, as long as it is not contrary to the laws already passed by the Legislative Council.
Article 36. The Sultan has the right of promulgating new regulations in con- sultation with the Legislative Council.
Article 37. Except the emergency laws all the other enactments will become law when they are passed by the Legislative Council in accordance with its rules and has been assented to by the Sultan.
Article 38. All the important Bills affecting the Islands will only become law after they had been submitted to the Peoples Assembly and had been approved by them and published in the Government Gazette.
Article 39. All the minor regulations and rules made for the conduct of the different Ministries will only have effect, after they have been passed by the Legislative Council, the Sultan has given his assent, and have been published in the Government Gazette.
Article 40. All the bills, ordinances, and regulations when proclaimed in the Government Gazette shall be given effect to on the date on which such regulations have been notified should be in force.
Article 41. Any Bill or Law relating to increment of poll tax or imposition of new taxes affecting the people, shall not become law, unless they have been passed by the Legislative Council and the Peoples Assembly, and had been assented to by the Sultan.
Article 42.
All the regulations shall have effect only after they have been duly put into force, by proclamation in the Government Gazette.
Article 43. The Sultan has no right to act in contravention of the rules of the Constitution and can act only in accordance with the rights and privileges given him by the Constitution.