The first reading took place at today’s sitting of Parliament for legal changes proposed to postpone the parliamentary elections and to expedite the handover of land plots to recipients of the previous government’s ‘Binveriya’ scheme.
Amendments to the Maldives land law in light of concerns of the ‘Binveriya’ scheme were submitted by Galolhu Dhekunu MP Mickail Naseem. The amendments for changing the date of the parliamentary elections were proposed to the general election law by Ihavandhoo MP Mohamed Shifau.
The land law amendments were proposed to resolve delays in handing over land plots awarded under the ‘Binveriya’ scheme, which had been carried out to award plots to the people of Male’ under a policy to solve the housing crisis in Male’.
“To mandate that land and the land registry must be handed over in a short period after recipients are determined by the authority for awarding state-owned land,” Mickail noted as the reason for submitting the bill.
Amendments to the general election law were proposed because the date set by the Elections Commission for the parliamentary elections falls during Ramadan.
“To bring the necessary amendments in order to find a solution to the difficulties posed by the Majlis elections coinciding with Ramadan, and to find a solution to the worrying increase in invalid votes due to the current law," Shifau noted as the reason for submitting the bill.
