Parliament amends rules to allow filing of counter-petitions against previously submitted petitions

The Parliament’s Rules of Procedure were amended on Tuesday to allow the submission of a petition against a previously submitted petition.

Under the existing Rules of Procedure, one of the conditions for accepting a petition was that it must not call for an action already requested in an earlier petition submitted to Parliament.

The motion to remove this requirement was proposed by PNC MP Mohamed Mamdooh and reviewed by the General Purpose Committee on Monday.

When the amendment was put to a vote, 56 members voted in favour, while nine members voted against. No member took part in the debate on the committee report, which recommended allowing petitions opposing previously filed petitions.

The Petition Committee had earlier decided to place on the agenda a petition calling for the withdrawal of the bill that gives the government the power to take over land under the jurisdiction of councils.

However, supporters of the ruling PNC also submitted a petition calling for the bill to be passed.

The petition filed by PNC supporters argued that the bill, moved by opposition MP Abdul Hannan Abubakr of Thulhaadhoo Constituency, would help facilitate the provision of basic services at the island level.

The petition opposing Abdul Hannan’s bill was described as a political move.