Parliament reconvenes to finalize 48 bills, including revisions to Police Act

Speaker of Parliament, former Maldivian leader Mohamed Nasheed has announced the Parliament will finalize 48 bills, including revisions to the Police Act during the third session of the 19th parliamentary assembly.

The 19th parliamentary assembly concluded recess and reconvened for its third session this Thursday.

Opening this Thursday’s sitting, Speaker Nasheed announced that the government had indicated it planned on submitting 30 bills during the course of the third session. And that the ruling MDP will be submitting 18 more bills under its Agenda 19 legislative agenda.

THE BILLS:

• Interim Justice Bill
• Bill on revisions to Police Act
• Bill on revisions to Judicature Act
• Bill on revisions to Judges Act
• Civil Procedure Code Bill
• Income Tax Bill
• Bill on revisions to Decentralization Act
• Water, Electricity and Sewerage Bill
• Climate Resolutions Bill
• Vegetation Bill
• Bill on revisions to Housing Act
• Education Bill
• Family, Divorce and Marriage Bill
• Unemployment Benefit Bill
• Minimum Wage Bill
• Transport System Bill

Speaker Nasheed said that the greatest task facing the Parliament, other than the 48 bills, was the work on the projected state budget for 2020. He said that the Parliament’s main focus should be the state budget.

The Parliament’s standing orders establish the third session to be from October to November.

The confirmation the Parliament will finalize revisions to the Police Act comes at the heels of remarks by the Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed (MC Hameed) that the Police Act – which was enacted in 2008 is outdated, and needs to be revised to introduce a mechanism to keep policing powers in check.