Parliamentary term extended over "important pending matters" as bill allowing government to reclaim council lands remains unfinished
12 އޯގަސްޓު 2026 | ބުދަ 09:20The Speaker of the Parliament has proposed extending the current session until August 20th to complete several pending matters, a move widely believed to be aimed at passing a controversial bill that would allow the government to reclaim council lands. This decision has intensified public concern over the legislature's perceived tendency to fast-track government-aligned interests while overlooking broader public priorities.
People's Majlis. | raajjemv
The Speaker of the 20th People’s Majlis has proposed an extension to the current second session of the year.
The chair has proposed extending the current session until the 20th of this month, citing several items of important business that remain to be completed.
According to the Parliament's standing orders, the final sitting of a session must be held on the last Monday or Thursday of that term. Consequently, the final sitting of the current session was originally scheduled for Thursday, August 13. However, following a decision to extend the session, the current term will now continue until August 20.
The first session of Parliament this year was extended under the pretext of completing urgent legislative work. However, even then, the proceedings focused exclusively on matters serving the government's interests. Specifically, the extension was utilized solely to push through the removal of Ahmed Nazim, the Member for Dhiggaru constituency, from his position as Deputy Speaker of Parliament.
It is believed that the proposal to extend the current session was made because work remains unfinished on the bill that would allow the government to reclaim land under the jurisdiction of local councils.
As public concern grows over a proposed amendment to the Decentralization Act that would allow the government to reclaim land and areas under local council jurisdiction for national development projects, pro-government lawmakers continue to defend the provisions of the bill.
Concerns are mounting among the public as the 20th People’s Majlis continues to cancel numerous sittings while fast-tracking only specific legislation sought by the government.
Several members have noted that prioritizing government interests in the conduct of parliamentary affairs is leading to a standstill, depriving other critical legislative responsibilities of the attention they require.
While the government maintains that extending the parliamentary term will provide the necessary opportunity to advance legislative work, the public remains watchful of how this additional time will be utilized.
