Parliament speaker rejects emergency motion over delay in Israel passport ban bill

The Speaker of Parliament, Abdul Raheem Abdulla on Monday rejected an emergency motion submitted by the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) regarding the delay in a bill to change Maldives’ laws to ban entries on Israeli passports - a bill that the government had previously pledged to support.

The bill, which sets down amendments to the Immigration Act, was sent to the National Security Services Committee for review with a unanimous vote on 88 on June 10.

The emergency motion over the delay in the bill was submitted to the Parliament by North Galolhu MP Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudoo).

In his motion, Mohamed Ibrahim accused the People’s National Congress (PNC) administration of failing to take any substantial measures against the ongoing genocide in Palestine beyond issuing statements condemning Israel.

He called on government lawmakers to expedite work on the Israel passport ban bill.

But Speaker Abdul Raheem decided to reject the motion.

“I inform the member that this motion cannot be presented at the Parliament during this ongoing sitting as it does not meet basic requirements for an emergency motion,” he said, without elaborating.

In his motion, Mohamed Ibrahim expressed concern that the bill has remained stymied in the committee stage for over four months. He asked Speaker Abdul Raheem to take the initiative to direct the committee to expedite work on the bill.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s cabinet made the decision to make legislative changes to ban Israeli passports on June 2.

At the time, the Parliament had already received a bill from South Galolhu MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem, a politician from the MDP, seeking a blanket ban on travelers with Israeli passports.

Following the cabinet’s decision, the main ruling PNC - which holds a supermajority in the Parliament - decided to accept the bill into the Parliament, and make the changes the government wants during the committee stage.

Meekail’s bill is designed to add a clause to Article 8 of Immigration Act, which lists individuals who are barred from entering the Maldives.

It seeks to bar the entry of all Israeli passport holders, including those who have dual citizenship.

However, Attorney General Ahmed Usham said that a blanket ban on all Israeli citizens could create certain “complications.” He said that his office would submit amendments to the bill.

Mounting outrage over the atrocities in Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territories have sparked protests in the streets of the capital, Male’ City, with Maldivians demanding that the government ban Israeli citizens from entering the country.

Israel’s current war on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, has killed more than 42,600 Palestinians, many of them women and children. It has also reduced much of the Palestinian territory to rubble, displaced the vast majority of residents, and resulted in widespread malnutrition. The war has now expanded to neighboring Lebanon.