The newly elected members of the parliament will take oath of office on May 28.
87 new lawmakers were elected on Saturday, two more than the previous terms. 386 candidates competed for the seats in the 19th People’s Majlis.
The year’s first parliament session will conclude on April 30, and the second session will start with the new MPs on June 1.
During the first meeting, the new lawmakers “shall at the first sitting after the general election elect a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker from its members by secret ballot.”
“Until such time as a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker is elected the People’s Majlis shall be presided over by the consecutively longest serving member from among those present. Where there are a number of members who have consecutively served the longest then the Majlis shall be presided over by the member most senior by age of those having served consecutively the longest.”
The Maldivian Constitution further states that, “a person elected as a member of the People’s Majlis shall assume membership in the People’s Majlis upon taking and subscribing, before the Chief Justice or his designate.”
While the 18th parliament also took office on May 28, Article 79 (a) of the constitution reads that, “the People’s Majlis shall continue for five years from the date of its first sitting, and shall then stand dissolved. The first sitting of the newly elected People’s Majlis shall be held immediately after the dissolution of the previous People’s Majlis."
