Parliament Faces Delay Again Due to Insufficient Quorum

The People’s Majlis, the legislative body of the Maldives, faced a setback in commencing today’s session due to a lack of quorum, resulting in a temporary halt in parliamentary proceedings. 

Former President Mohamed Nasheed attributed this delay directly to the involvement of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

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According to Nasheed, a significant number of MDP members remained absent during the session’s scheduled start time. Nasheed pointed out that this absenteeism was a recurring issue, echoing similar concerns from the previous day.

As the session failed to resume after a half-hour delay, Nasheed asserted that the President was unequivocally present, emphasising his demand for President Solih to take decisive action in upholding the nation’s governance rather than interfering in parliamentary affairs.

“I urge the President to exercise his executive authority judiciously and refrain from obstructing the democratic processes of our nation,” Nasheed expressed with a sense of urgency. 

The ongoing standoff stems from accusations by MDP members that the parliament is neglecting vital legislative matters that concern the people. Instead, they allege that the parliamentary agenda is being dominated by anti-government resolutions.

However, it’s noteworthy that the MDP parliamentary group has not officially declared a boycott of the session, indicating an ongoing willingness to engage in dialogue.

Today’s session largely retained the previous day’s agenda, which featured a resolution presented by Hulhudhoo MP Ilyas Labeeb. This resolution calls on the government to conduct a confidential vote to amend the nation’s system of governance.

The urgency to address this resolution was highlighted by Nasheed, who cited an agreement by the MDP’s prosecutor leader. 

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih emphasised that the decision to hold this vote was driven by the limited time available before the forthcoming presidential election scheduled for the 30th of this month.

However, complications arose as The Democrats, in a recent council meeting, imposed a condition for the MDP to conduct a systematic vote before the 28th of this month.