PPM secures chair of 11 standing committees

MPs of the majority party, ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) have been elected chairs of 11 of the 13 standing committees in parliament.

PPM failed to secure two committees; the 241 Committee - a constitutional parliamentary committee with oversight of operations of the security services - and the Economic Affairs Committee. The meetings to decide chairs for the standing committees was held on Monday night.

PPM’s coalition partner Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) members where also elected as deputy chairs to 4 committees. Minority party, main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Jumhoory Party and the religiously conservative Adhaalath Party also had members elected as deputy chairs to two committees each.

Majority leader, Vilimale’ MP Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik was appointed chair, and MDA Deputy Leader Kudahuvadhoo MP Ahmed Amir as deputy chair of the Public Accounts Committee, often considered the most influential committee in parliament.

Fonadhoo MP Ali Solih was appointed chair and Kendhikulhudhoo MP Ali Mauroof as deputy chair of the Committee on Independent Institutions.

PPM member, Vilufushi MP Riyaz Rasheed was appointed chair and MDP member Maradhoo MP Ibrahim Shareef (Mavoata Shareef) as deputy chair of the Committee on Oversight of the Government.

Holhudhoo MP Ali Mohamed (Alibe), who recently left MDP and joined PPM, was appointed chair and Makunudhoo MP Anaara Naeem, the only Adhaalath Party member in parliament, was elected as the deputy chair of the Social Affairs Committee.

PPM member Kelaa MP Ali Arif was appointed chair and MDA member Kudahuvadhoo MP Ahmed Amir was appointed deputy of the General Purpose Committee.

Guraidhoo MP Ibrahim Riza, member of PPM, was appointed chair of the National Security Committee.

Vote to elect deputy chairs to National Security Committee and Committee on National Development came to a tie and was left to decide at a later date.

Maafannu-central MP Asma Rasheed, a PPM member, was appointed chair and Henveyru-south MP Mohamed Abdul Kareem (Rukuma) from MDP was appointed deputy chair of the Petition Committee.

Prominent lawyer and PPM member, Kulhudhuffushi-south MP Mohamed Nasheed was unanimously voted chair of the Committee on Secondary Legislation. Manadhoo MP Umar Hussain was appointed the committee’s deputy chair.

The ruling coalition - comprising of PPM and MDA - holds 6 seats in 4 committees and 5 seats in 8 committees and have majority in all 12 standing committees in parliament.

PPM currently has a strength of 41 MPs and MDA has an additional 5 MPs in parliament. Minority party MDP currently has 24 MPs in the 18th parliament, which is composed of 85 MPs in total.