Parliament rejects MDP bill on immediate island residency transfer

The People's Majlis has rejected a bill proposed by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) that sought to allow citizens to transfer their island residency immediately after acquiring housing on another island.

The bill, which proposed amendments to the Act on Becoming a Resident of a Maldivian Island, was introduced during last Tuesday's parliamentary sitting by MDP MP for Galolhu South, Mohamed Ibrahim.

Parliament debated the bill on Monday before voting on whether to accept it for committee review.

The proposal failed to secure the support of the ruling People's National Congress (PNC), which holds a parliamentary majority. It was rejected by 59 votes to 12 and will not proceed to the committee stage.

Under the current law, a person may transfer their official island registry to another island only after residing there continuously for more than five years. Those who do not meet that requirement may register only on the island where either their mother or father is registered.

The proposed amendment sought to introduce a new provision allowing immediate residency registration for individuals who acquire legal housing on another island.

Under the bill, a person would have been eligible to apply for residency immediately after obtaining ownership or legal occupancy of a plot of land, house, flat or other residential property through inheritance, land division, purchase, gift, a court ruling or a government housing programme.

The proposal also required the relevant authority to register the applicant as a resident once the property had been verified as fit for habitation, without applying the existing five-year residency requirement.

The bill further stated that no individual could hold residency on two islands at the same time. Upon approval of a transfer, the applicant's previous island registration would have been cancelled automatically.