Parliament Speaker Departs for India to Attend Commonwealth Conference

Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Speaker of the People’s Majlis, has departed for New Delhi on an official visit to attend the 28th Conference of Speakers and Officers of the Commonwealth Parliament (CSPOC).

The Speaker is accompanied by Hulhudhoo MP Mohamed Shahid, Chief of Bureau at the Parliament Secretariat Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik, and Senior Foreign Relations Officer Aishath Eman.

The three-day conference, scheduled to conclude on 16 January, will bring together Speakers and Presiding Officers from more than 60 Commonwealth countries and semi-autonomous parliaments. The forum aims to strengthen parliamentary democracy by promoting the exchange of knowledge and best practices, and by supporting the development of parliamentary institutions across member states.

According to India’s state-run broadcaster News on AIR, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is serving as chairperson of the 28th CSPOC. The broadcaster reported that the conference will begin with a meeting of the CSPOC Standing Committee on the first day, which will be chaired by Birla in his capacity as conference chair.

News on AIR further reported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the conference on 15 January at the historic Central Hall of the Samvidhan Sadan. During the event, Modi is also expected to hold an informal interaction with Speakers and Presiding Officers from Commonwealth and autonomous parliaments.