Parliament approves second extension of current session

The People's Majlis has voted to extend its current session by a further week, delaying the start of the parliamentary recess.

The current term had originally been scheduled to conclude last week. Parliament subsequently voted to extend the session until Wednesday. During Tuesday's sitting, members approved a second extension, allowing the session to continue until next Thursday.

The extension was approved following a vote on a proposal presented by the Chair.

According to the voting results, 58 members supported the extension, while nine members of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) voted against it.

After the vote, Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla said the result reflected the willingness of the parliamentary majority to continue working on behalf of the public.

“The result of this vote demonstrates the extent to which the majority of the People's Majlis stands with the public. It shows that they are ready to work 24 hours a day to serve the citizens,” Abdul Raheem said.

The Speaker also announced that the next parliamentary sitting would take place on Monday.

Last week, Abdul Raheem stated that the initial extension was intended to allow parliament to complete pending legislative work. However, no specific reason was provided during Tuesday's sitting for extending the session for a second time.

The decision comes as parliament continues consideration of several bills and petitions currently before committees.

Opposition members have alleged that the latest extension is intended to facilitate the processing of a petition supporting proposed amendments to the Decentralisation Act.

The bill, submitted by independent Thulhaadhoo MP Hannan Aboobakr, would grant the government greater authority to acquire land and property under local council jurisdiction for government projects.

A petition supporting the bill was submitted after an earlier petition calling for its rejection attracted sufficient signatures to qualify for parliamentary consideration.

Parliament also approved amendments to its Standing Orders on Tuesday, allowing multiple petitions concerning the same issue to be considered.

Meanwhile, the committee reviewing the Decentralisation Act amendment has been granted additional time to complete its work, with its reporting deadline extended until Wednesday.

In a separate matter, parliament on Tuesday referred proposed amendments to the Foreign Exchange Act back to committee for further review.

The bill would require resorts to exchange 20 per cent of their monthly foreign currency revenue and is expected to take effect on the first day of next month if approved.

The extended parliamentary session will provide additional time for committees and the full house to complete work on these and other pending items before the recess begins.