Writ petition challenges cancellation of MPs' party membership

A Supreme Court lawyer yesterday filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the legality of Article 70 of the constitution regarding cancellation of membership of a lawmaker for reigning or voting against his or her political party.

Article 70 says, “A person elected as a member of parliament at an election at which he was nominated as a candidate by a political party shall vacate his seat if he resigns from that party; or votes in Parliament against that party; but shall not thereby be disqualified for subsequent election as a member of parliament”.