Parliament Approves Rule Change Allowing Repeated E-Petitions on Same Issue

The Parliament has approved an amendment to its Rules of Procedure that will allow repeated e-petitions to be submitted on the same issue.

The amendment, proposed by Funadhoo MP Mohamed Mamdooh, seeks to remove Rule 257-1(g), which currently prevents a petition from containing a measure called for in a previous petition submitted to Parliament.

advertisement

The amendment was passed with 56 MPs voting in favour and 10 voting against.

Speaking on the floor, Mamdooh said the main purpose of the amendment was to remove the restriction on submitting e-petitions on matters that had already been raised through a previous petition.

Under the existing rule, a further petition cannot be submitted seeking reconsideration of a matter already raised through an earlier petition. Mamdooh’s motion, submitted under Rule 272(n), removes this restriction.

The change was approved as Parliament considers competing petitions concerning a proposed amendment to the Decentralisation Act.

A petition initiated by social media activist Midhuam Saud opposing the proposed amendment has secured more than 2,300 signatures, exceeding the minimum threshold required for consideration by Parliament. During Tuesday’s sitting, Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla said the petition would be placed on the parliamentary agenda once the relevant committee sends it to the floor.

The petition calls for the withdrawal of the amendment bill submitted by Thulhaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakuru. The proposed legislation would give the central government greater authority to acquire land under the jurisdiction of local councils for government development projects.

At the same time, MPs from the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) have been seeking signatures for a separate petition supporting Hannan’s amendment. The supporting petition is being led by Seenu Meedhoo Council President Ahmed Shathir.

Under the previous rules, only one petition could be submitted on the same matter. Shathir’s petition was referred to a parliamentary committee before it obtained the minimum number of signatures required for consideration by the full House, meaning it could not subsequently be brought directly to the floor for debate.

The approved rule change removes that restriction, allowing additional petitions to be submitted concerning an issue that has already been raised through a previous petition.

The PNC has not publicly stated that Mamdooh’s motion was introduced to delay or prevent debate on the petition opposing the Decentralisation Act amendment. However, the timing of the rule change has attracted attention as Parliament considers petitions representing opposing positions on the proposed legislation.

Speaking on the floor, Mamdhooh said the main purpose of the amendment is to remove the restrictions for e-petitions.  

The amendment to the Decentralisation Act has become a subject of public debate, with opponents expressing concern over the proposed expansion of the central government’s powers over land under council jurisdiction, while its supporters have backed the government’s proposed changes.