MP for Addu-Meedhoo constituency Rozaina Adam has informed that the vote on Bill to empower Presidential commissions did not go through in today's Parliamentary session.

The Presidential Commissions being empowered by the Bill involve the Commission on Investigation of Murder and Enforced Disappearances as well as the Commission on Corruption and Asset Recovery. While MP Rozaina is the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Independent Institutions, the Committee had spearheaded the research on this Bill.

MP Rozaina further said that 10 MP’s of Jumhooree Party (JP) and one member of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) were not in attendance at today’s Parliamentary sitting.

This is the third sitting that has been concluded without being able to conduct a vote on this Bill. An attempt had been made to pass the Bill at Parliament, during the last sitting of the previous year 2018.  While yesterday’s sitting saw a drop in quorum by one member, today’s sitting was missing a total of three members to fill up the required quorum at Parliament.

While President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had called on Parliament to proceed with the vote on the Bill, government coalition leaders had previously talked of conducting a special mid-year sitting of Parliament. A new year has loomed on the Parliament and the special sitting has yet to take place.

The Members that were not in attendance at today’s Parliamentary session are:

  • MP Riyaz Rasheed
  • MP Hussain Manik Dhon Manik
  • MP Ahmed Mubeen
  • MP Ibrahim Hassan
  • MP Abdul Latheef Mohamed
  • MP Hussain Rasheed
  • MP Ilham Ahmed
  • MP Mohamed Hussain
  • MP Umar Hussain
  • MP Ahmed Azhan Fahmy

Additionally MP Rozaina informed via twitter that MDP member, MP Mohamed Abdulla was also not in attendance at today’s Parliamentary session.

While the vote on Bill to empower Presidential commissions was delayed at yesterday's sitting as well, MP for Kinbidhoo constituency and Minority Leader, Abdulla Riyaz had said that measures will be taken against MP’s that are not in attendance.