The Parliament has bypassed a scheduled debate on a petition opposing a proposed amendment to the Decentralization Act—which would allow the government to reclaim land under local council jurisdiction for development projects—and has instead prioritized amending the regulations governing the submission of petitions.
Today’s parliamentary agenda included a motion by Funadhoo MP Mohamed Mamdhooh to refer a proposed change to the Standing Orders to a permanent committee for review. The motion seeks to repeal Article 257-1 (l) of the Parliament’s Standing Orders, in accordance with Article 272 (c).
The clause slated for repeal currently prohibits the submission of a new petition requesting an action that is already being addressed in a petition previously submitted to Parliament.
Sources indicate that MP Mamdhooh proposed this change to rectify a procedural error involving a petition spearheaded by Ahmed Shathir, President of the Seenu Meedhoo Council. Shathir’s petition, which supports a bill submitted by Thulhaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakuru, was mistakenly forwarded to a parliamentary committee before it had secured the required number of signatures to mandate a floor debate. The proposed regulatory change would allow for a new petition to be filed on the same matter.
Under current regulations, multiple petitions regarding the same issue are prohibited.
However, if the clause is repealed as proposed by Mamdhooh, it would allow for the repeated submission of petitions on a single subject, potentially leading to complications and confusion within the entire petitioning system.
Despite public concern regarding the proposed amendments to the Decentralization Act, the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) has not officially disclosed why it chose to delay the debate on the opposing petition in favor of changing the Standing Orders.
It is understood that PNC members are also actively working to gather signatures for Shathir’s petition in support of MP Hannan’s bill.
Because Shathir’s petition has already been sent to a committee, it cannot currently be brought directly to the floor for debate under existing rules.
Meanwhile, a separate petition submitted by social media activist Midhuam Saud, calling for the rejection of MP Hannan’s bill—which is being advanced with PNC support—has garnered over 2,300 signatures.
Although the Petitions Committee had previously passed a motion to table Midhuam’s petition for debate within the next three sittings, it was absent from today’s agenda.
