Presidential commissions bill remains at standstill

The bill to empower the presidential inquiry commissions has not been placed in the agenda and remains in the committee for review.

The bill was returned to the committee at a sitting last week despite there being enough MPs to take a vote on it.

Speaker Qasim Ibrahim said the bill was returned after the committee members stated that they have not fully reviewed it.

Addu-Meedhoo MP Rozaina Adam, the chair of the committee on independent institutions, has been sidelined after a motion was submitted to remove her as chair. Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) stated that Central Henveiru MP Ali Azim has been appointed to fill the empty seat and Vilifushi MP Riyaz Rasheed has been appointed as chair.

MP Rozaina has denied there being any part of the bill that the committee has neglected to review before forwarding it. She also said that the refusal to take a vote on the bill was unlawful, claiming that some MPs refuse to pass the bill since they are involved in cases of corruption and death.

43 MPs need to be in attendance to pass the bill, and while the government coalition’s parliamentary group consists of 47 MPs, the bill failed to pass the first few times due to lack of quorum.