The Speaker of Parliament, Abdul Raheem Abdulla, has announced that a vote will be held today to decide on the appointments of three key parliamentary officials: Secretary General Fathimath Niusha, Parliament Counsel General Fathimath Filza, and Sergeant-at-Arms Major (Retired) Thalhath Hassan.

At the start of the session, the Speaker referred to Article 16 of the Parliament Rules, which requires Parliament to confirm appointments for these positions unless otherwise decided within the first two terms of a new session. The Speaker noted that, as was the practice in the 19th Parliament, a vote will be conducted to determine whether the officials currently serving in these roles will continue.

Fathimath Filza has been serving as Counsel General since 2011, while Fathimath Niusha began as Deputy General in 2012 and became General Secretary in 2018. Major (Retired) Thalhath Hassan was appointed as Sergeant-at-Arms in April 2023.

The position of Sergeant-at-Arms was created on 31 October 2013, with Mohamed Haleem as its first appointee. However, Haleem was dismissed in August 2022 following a period of suspension, though Parliament did not disclose the reasons behind the suspension.

The outcome of today’s vote will determine the continuation of these officials in their respective roles.