Parliamentary committee mandates tie-wearing after MDP protest over procedural violations

The general purpose cCommittee of the Parliament on Wednesday approved an amendment to the standing orders of parliament requiring members to wear ties during parliamentary sessions.

The ruling People’s National Congress (PNC)-majority committee added a clause to the article outlining the parliamentary code of conduct, mandating members to adhere to a formal dress code.

Under the revised rule, members may attend sessions in one of four approved forms of attire:

• Suit  
• Shirt, tie, and trousers  
• National dress / Maldivian traditional dress  
• Formal wear that does not violate the general dress code of the Maldives

The regulation prohibits skin-exposing thin clothing, garments bearing group or brand insignia, clothing with immoral phrases, jeans, and sandals. Members found in violation may face disciplinary action, including reprimands or suspension from attending a number of sessions.

The amendment has been forwarded to the PNC-majority Parliament for final approval.

The move follows recent protests by opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) members, who attended sessions without ties to express dissent over what they described as the unlawful operation of Parliament under the presidency. On September 15, several MDP MPs appeared without ties during an extraordinary session, citing procedural violations and lack of ministerial accountability.

Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir told Sun that his decision to forgo a tie was a protest against the presidency’s failure to uphold parliamentary standing orders. The Speaker, who chaired the session, responded by stating, “The session is an official hour and you should wear a tie on your official dress.”

MDP members have raised concerns that ministers are not responding to questions within the 14-day period required by parliamentary rules, and that the Parliament is failing to address the issue.