Emergency motion over GMR power outage rejected

The emergency motion submitted to the People's Majlis by the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) regarding the power outage in Malé, Hulhumalé and Velana International Airport (VIA) on Sunday has been rejected.

The emergency motion was submitted to Monday's parliamentary sitting by MDP’s MP Dr. Ahmed Shamheed, representing South Hulhumalé constituency.

The emergency motion was submitted to bring the multiple difficulties faced by the public and the halting of businesses due to the sudden power outage that lasted for several hours, to the government's attention.

When submitting the emergency motion, MP Shamheed stated that this was not a politically motivated emergency motion. He also requested the lawmakers of the main ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), which holds a supermajority in the parliament, to accept the emergency motion.

However, PNC lawmakers rejected the emergency motion at Monday’s parliamentary sitting.

Nine MDP lawmakers voted to accept the emergency motion and 43 lawmakers voted to reject it.

The emergency motion submitted regarding the power outage stated that when electricity was cut off entirely from GMR, it disrupted the general public's daily life, halted businesses, and brought hospital operations to a standstill. It highlighted that while this occurred, the law mandates service providers and the government to provide electricity service to all citizens living on the island.

However, it was noted that the power outage in Malé and Hulhumalé at around 12:35pm caused numerous difficulties for the citizens.

The sudden power outage across Malé was described as potentially harmful to those receiving treatment at healthcare facilities and the equipment used there. It was stated that this posed a risk to patients receiving treatment and could damage or destroy expensive medical equipment in hospitals.

In addition to this, the emergency motion highlighted that the airport came to a halt, disrupting the travel plans of several tourists. It was mentioned that this would also impact the tourism sector.

When electricity was cut off in GMR on Sunday, it caused significant hardships for the general public. As a result, several businesses were forced to close. Many schools in the Malé region were also closed.

With the power outage in Malé, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has also ordered relevant authorities to investigate the matter as a serious issue. Subsequently, the Maldives Police Service (MPS) stated that they have initiated an investigation into the power outage in the Greater Malé area. However, no further details related to the matter were disclosed.