Parliament amends regulations to mandate a vote before debating resolutions
27 އޮކްޓޯބަރު 2026 | އަންގާރަ 09:05Following an amendment to the parliamentary rules of procedure, debates on resolutions can now only proceed if a majority of the People's Majlis votes to accept them. The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has expressed concern over this change, passed by the People's National Congress (PNC) majority, arguing it restricts opportunities for opposition members. Under the previous regulations, a decision on whether to accept a resolution was only made after the debate phase had concluded.
Abdul Hannaan Aboobakuru, Member of Parliament for the Thulhaadhoo constituency. | People's Majlis
The Parliament has amended its Standing Orders to require a preliminary vote on whether to accept resolutions for debate before they can proceed on the floor.
The People's Majlis on Tuesday passed a proposed amendment to Article 191 of its Standing Orders, with the majority of PNC members voting in favor of the change.
The amendment was proposed by Abdul Hannaan Aboobakuru, the Member of Parliament for the Thulhaadhoo constituency. Following its introduction, the proposal was accepted by the Parliament and reviewed by the General Purpose Committee.
The Parliament on Tuesday approved the General Purpose Committee's report as submitted, with a majority of 56 members voting in favor.
According to the amendment proposed by Hannaan, once a resolution is submitted to the Parliament, a preliminary vote must first be taken to decide whether to accept it.
The amendment stipulates that if the parliamentary majority fails to vote in favor of accepting a resolution, it will be immediately invalidated without the opportunity for debate. Furthermore, the amendment states that such a resolution cannot be reintroduced as a subject for future parliamentary debate.
Under the previous provision, members were granted the opportunity to debate a resolution immediately upon its submission and prior to its formal acceptance. A vote to determine whether to accept the resolution was only conducted following the conclusion of that debate. However, this amendment reverses that procedure, mandating that a vote on the resolution's acceptance must now be held before any debate can take place.
Members of the MDP have expressed concern over the amendment, stating that it restricts the opportunities available to the minority.
This change comes at a time when the Parliamentary Group Leader of the ruling PNC, Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah, has stated that the opposition MDP will no longer be given the opportunity to submit resolutions to the People’s Majlis.
