Hassan Afeef Deemed Ineligible to Chair Parliament Sittings

Hassan Afeef, the Vilufushi MP who had been presiding over parliament sessions in the absence of the Speaker or Deputy Speaker, is no longer considered eligible for the role.

Afeef has been overseeing the proceedings of the 19th session of the parliament during instances when neither the former Speaker, Mohamed Nasheed, nor Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla could attend. 

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Typically, he has been chairing the morning sessions and had previously held the distinction of being the longest-serving MP according to the parliament secretariat’s website.

However, according to Parliament Regulation, the responsibility of chairing sessions in the absence of both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker falls to one of the five longest-serving MPs. 

Although Afeef was initially elected to parliament in 1990, he did not secure a seat in 2009 for the 17th session and again in 2014 for the 18th parliamentary session, resulting in an interruption to his tenure.

The issue of Afeef’s ineligibility had not been emphasised earlier when the names of the five longest-serving MPs were listed on the parliament secretariat’s website. Nasheed’s announcement of the members had also been approved by the MPs.