Sodiq joins environment and decentralisation committees

The People's Majlis on Wednesday approved the appointment of Hithadhoo North MP Abdulla Sodiq to two parliamentary committees.

Sodiq, a member of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), was elected in a by-election held early last month and took his oath of office on 15 June.

His election increased the MDP's representation in Parliament to 13 members, making the party eligible for two additional committee seats.

However, his committee assignments were delayed after the parliamentary groups of the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) and the MDP were unable to reach agreement on which committees he should join.

During Wednesday's sitting, Parliament approved changes to committee memberships, allocating the MDP two additional committee seats.

The proposal was approved with 66 votes in favour. MDP members, including Sodiq, voted in support of the motion, while no members voted against it.

Before the vote, Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla announced that Sodiq had been appointed to the:

Last week, MDP lawmakers staged a protest on the parliamentary floor over the delay in finalising Sodiq's committee assignments.