Parliament cancels Tuesday’s sitting as well, no reason disclosed

The Parliament failed to convene for its scheduled sitting on Tuesday as the legislative body goes without any sittings for five consecutive days.

The most recent sitting of the Parliament was held on Wednesday last week. Since then, no additional sessions have taken place, and the Parliament Secretariat has not disclosed the reason for the suspension. Parliamentary sittings are ordinarily held from Monday to Wednesday.

Addressing the matter, a lawmaker from opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said the reason behind the suspension of sittings remains unknown, adding that the Parliament Secretariat has not informed members when the next sitting will take place.

Attempts by Sun to obtain a comment from Parliament’s Majority Leader Ibrahim Falah and its media department regarding the reasons for the cancellations and the schedule for future sittings, through phone calls and messages, were unsuccessful.

Ibrahim Nazil, MDP’s Parliamentary Group and South Hithadhoo MP, recently voiced strong criticism over the issue. Speaking at an MDP gathering last Thursday night, Nazil emphasized that sittings were not being held despite ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) holding supermajority in the Parliament while asserting only reason sessions have taken place in recent weeks is due to the persistent efforts of MDP members.

Nazil also stated that, for the past three weeks, the parliamentary agenda has consisted solely of questions submitted by MDP members to government ministers, with no other significant legislative business being introduced.

The MDP has previously raised concerns over what it describes as the stagnation of parliamentary proceedings. The party noted that although each member receives a monthly committee allowance of MVR 20,000, many committee meetings conclude in less than 15 minutes.

Public criticism has likewise grown over the conduct of parliamentary committees, with some meetings reportedly lasting only five to ten minutes or being cancelled immediately when members fail to arrive on time.

Despite the substantial amount of state funding allocated to parliamentary salaries and allowances, concerns persist over the productivity of members. Public scrutiny has intensified during the current parliamentary term amid irregular sittings and what many perceive to be a lack of meaningful legislative activity.