Committee finalizes parliament standing committees compositions

The five-member select committee has today finalized the compositions of the 13 standing committees in parliament, with Public Accounts Committee and the 241 Committee holding 13 and 14 members respectively.

Earlier last week the five-member select committee decided 12 standing committees would hold 11 members each – with an exemption to the 241 Committee, a constitutional parliamentary committee with oversight of operations of the security services - and the ruling coalition to have majority of seven major committees.

The select committee today voted to grant a 5-seat majority in the Public Accounts Committee to the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), with the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) holding 4 seats, Jumhoory Party (JP) with 2 seats, and Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) with 1 seat.

PPM, with 5 members, will also have majority of the 241 Committee. The committee will have 3 MDP members, 2 JP members, 1 MDA member, 1 Adhaalath Party (AP) member and 1 independent member. Parliament currently has 1 MP representing AP and 1 independent.

The change to add two more members to the Public Accounts Committee, bringing the number to 13, was proposed by Kudahuvadhoo MP Ahmed Amir, and the change to increase the 241 Committee composition from 12 to 14 members was proposed by Maamigili MP Gasim Ibrahim today.

The standing committee compositions will be finalized by the parliament floor, after a debat of the select committee report.

The five-member select committee meeting began today at 10:00 a.m. and came to a final decision soon after reconvening at 11:30 a.m.

The Public Accounts Committee composition was opposed by MP Gasim Ibrahim, who maintained that the committee should not have more than 11 members and that the number of members should not be increased for the sake of an individual party. The Public Accounts Committee composition was finally decided with votes in favour from PPM and MDP. The composition of the 241 Committee was decided unanimously.

According to the final decision today, some of the standing committees would have 10 members each. These committees will be revised to have an odd number of members, said Chair of the select committee MP Riyaz Rasheed.

Finalizing the compositions today, MP Riyaz Rasheed announced that the select committee report will soon be forwarded to the parliament floor.