Commencement of new parliamentary session delayed to next week

Parliament Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla has decided to postpone the commencement of the new parliamentary session to next week.

Parliament Secretariate, in a message to lawmakers on Sunday, said the commencement of the session was postponed to Monday, October 14^th due to existing difficulties in broadcasting parliamentary sittings as physical works on establishing a new video room to broadcast the sittings are ongoing.

Parliament had gone to recess after the second session of the year on August 22nd but had held three extraordinary sittings to expedite work on appointing a new prosecutor general and passing key legislature.

82.9 percent of the works were completed when Parliament went to recess.

The 93-member new parliamentary assembly took office on May 28. The main ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) holds a supermajority at the Parliament, with 75 seats. Three parties aligned with the PNC also hold seats: the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) holds two, while the Maldives National Party (MNP) and Jumhoory Party (JP) hold one each. The three parties are aligned with the PNC.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) holds 12 seats. The remaining two seats are held by independents.