Falah Defends Committee Allocations Amid MDP Protest

Ruling Party, Progressive National Congress (PNC) Parliamentary Group Leader Ibrahim Falah has defended the allocation of parliamentary committee seats to the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), saying the party has already been given representation proportional to the number of seats it holds in Parliament.

Falah made the remarks on social media after MDP MPs staged a protest in Parliament yesterday over the delay in assigning newly elected Hithadhoo North MP Abdulla Sodiq to a parliamentary committee.

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The protest took place while the Government Holding Companies Committee’s report on the approval of Mohamed Nizar as Chairman of the Privatisation and Corporatisation Board (PCB) was being presented in the Parliament by committee chairman and Feydhoo South MP Ibrahim Didi.

The disruption led to several MDP MPs being removed from the chamber, while others left voluntarily. Consequently, no MDP members participated in a vote held later in the session.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, MDP Parliamentary Group spokesperson and Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir said it was unacceptable that Sodiq had not been assigned to a committee more than two weeks after taking the oath of office. He said the opposition had raised the matter with both the Speaker of Parliament and the Secretary-General but had not received a resolution.

In response, Falah said the MDP had already been allocated committee seats despite its reduced parliamentary representation and argued that the opposition had been treated fairly in the distribution of committee positions.

މިހާރުވެސް މަޖިލީހުގައި ޕާޓީތަކަށް ލިބިފައިވާ ގޮނޑީގެ އަދަދަށް ބަލާއިރު މަޖިލިސްޤަވައިދުގައި ކޮމިޓީތަކުން އެމްޑީޕީއަށް ލިބޭމިންވަރަށްވުރެ އޯގާތެރިކޮށް ހުރިހާކަމެއް ކޮށްދީފައިވާނެ.

ނަމަވެސް އެމްޑީޕީއަކީ ކޮށްދޭ ހެޔޮކަންނުފެންނަބައެއް. ގަދަބާރުންކަންކަން ކުރަންނޫޅި ޤާނޫނާއި… pic.twitter.com/ilXIYgnX5S— Ibrahim Falah (@IbrahimFalahR) June 24, 2026

MDP Parliamentary Group Leader Ibrahim Nazil rejected that position, claiming the ruling party was seeking to place opposition members only on committees with limited workloads, such as the Petitions Committee and the Privileges and Ethics Committee.

Nazil said broader representation on parliamentary committees was important for the opposition to effectively carry out its oversight role. He added that allocating additional committee seats to the MDP would not adversely affect the ruling PNC.