Parliament committee approves amendment to restrict debate on resolutions

Parliament's General Committee has approved an amendment to the Standing Orders requiring resolutions submitted by members to receive parliamentary approval before they can be debated.

Under the proposed changes, Parliament would first vote on whether to accept a resolution. If the resolution fails to secure sufficient support, it would be rejected without debate.

The amendment was submitted on Saturday by independent MP Abdul Hannan Abubakur, who represents Thulhaadhoo constituency and has previously proposed amendments sought by the government.

Article 191 of Parliament's existing Standing Orders allows any member to submit a resolution. Unlike bills, resolutions do not require presidential ratification and may include statements or decisions expressing Parliament's position on particular matters.

The proposed amendment would introduce a preliminary vote before debate begins. Resolutions approved at this stage would be referred to the relevant parliamentary committee, while those rejected would be dismissed without further consideration.

It also specifies that resolutions cannot contain provisions that contradict legislation or address matters unrelated to the subject of the proposed resolution.

Once a resolution has completed the committee stage and received parliamentary approval, it would not require the ratification procedures applicable to bills.

The General Committee approved the amendment on Tuesday without substantive debate. Kanditheemu MP Ameen Faisal, representing the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), was the only member to object.

Faisal said the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) held a parliamentary majority and that the amendment was therefore likely to be passed by the full Parliament. However, he said he did not wish to participate in approving changes that would restrict opportunities for parliamentary debate.

He left the committee meeting before the amendment was approved.

According to Faisal, the proposed rules would prevent minority members from debating resolutions unless the parliamentary majority first agreed to accept them.

He said the existing procedures allowed opposition members to submit resolutions on matters that Parliament had declined to consider as urgent, providing another opportunity to raise those issues in the chamber.

"Once these rules are passed, unless a resolution is accepted, there will be no opportunity to debate even an urgent matter or a resolution in Parliament," Faisal said.

He argued that members of the parliamentary minority should retain the opportunity to express their views on matters submitted for consideration.

"This is something I cannot support in any way. I believe we should have an opportunity to say something in Parliament," he said.

Faisal added that the proposed changes would remove opportunities for debate on both urgent matters and resolutions, making the amendment unacceptable to him.

Following its approval by the General Committee, the amendment will be submitted to the parliamentary floor for consideration.

If approved by Parliament, the revised procedures will take effect immediately, according to the proposed amendment.