Tag: parliament standing committees

Parliament committees reconstituted with over half the session consumed

MPs have been selected for standing committees today following yesterday’s 61-3 vote to approve a compromise over the reworked composition agreed upon by parliamentary group (PG) leaders.

The three dissenting votes were cast by Independent MPs Ahmed Amir and Ahmed “Redwave” Saleem along with Nolhivaram MP Mohamed Nasheed of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

MPs of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party’s (DRP) Z-faction, Ahmed Mahlouf, Ilham Ahmed and Afrashim Ali, were notably chosen by the split main opposition party for the coveted ‘241’ Security Services Committee – the Z-DRP MPs disrupted last week’s sitting in protest of the previous compromise reached by PG leaders, which would have given the MDP a voting majority on the now-opposition controlled committee.

As a result of the drawn out dispute over committee composition – sparked by the defection of two opposition MPs to the ruling party in May – parliamentary committees have remained stalled since the current session began in June.

The second session of parliament this year is meanwhile due to end next month as Majlis breaks for recess at the end of August.

Apart from authority to summon state officials and conduct inquiries, parliamentary committees are tasked with reviewing and finalising legislation as well as evaluating the President’s nominees to the cabinet, independent institutions and foreign missions.

Four out of 14 bills proposed by the government as part of its economic reform package were sent to committee on Monday while debate on the rest is set to continue next week.

Among the economic reform legislation on the agenda today were proposed laws for business registration, real estate, inheritance, business partnerships and company rules as well as a bill to abolish the Foreign Investment Act of 1979.

Revised committee composition : –

1. Rules Committee – five seats for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP); five seats for the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP); one seat for People’s Alliance (PA); Eydhafushi MP Ahmed “Redwave” Saleem as the Independent MP

2. Public Accounts Committee – five seats for MDP; four seats for DRP; one seat for PA; one seat for Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP)

3. Economics Committee – five seats for MDP; three seats for DRP; one seat for Jumhooree Party (JP); Meedhoo MP Ahmed “Sun Travel” Shiyam and Eydhafushi MP Ahmed “Redwave” Saleem as the Independent MPs

4. Social Affairs Committee – four seats for MDP; three seats for DRP; two seats for PA; one seat for JP; Velidhoo MP Ali Mohamed as the Independent MP

5. Independent Institutions Committee – five seats for MDP; four seats for DRP; one seat for PA; Kulhudhufushi South MP Mohamed Nasheed as the Independent MP

6. Government Oversight Committee – four seats for MDP; four seats for DRP; one seat PA; one seat for JP; one seat for DQP

7. National Development Committee – five seats for MDP; three seats for DRP; one seat for PA; Kudahuvadhoo MP Ahmed Amir and Kaashdihoo MP Ismail Abdul Hameed as the Independent MP

8. National Security Committee – five seats for MDP; three seats for DRP; one seat for PA; Dhuvafaru MP Mohamed Zubair and Guraidhoo MP Ibrahim Riza as the Independent MPs

9. General Affairs Committee – five seats for MDP; three seats for DRP; one seat for PA; Kudahuvadhoo MP Ahmed Amir and Dhuvafaru MP Mohamed Zubair

10. Petition Committee – five seats for MDP; three seats for DRP; one seat for PA; one seat for JP; Kaashidhoo MP Ismail Abdul Hameed as the Independent MP

11. Privileges Committee – five seats for MDP; three seats for DRP; one seat for PA; one seat for JP; Guraidhoo MP Ibrahim Riza as the Independent MP

12. Ethics Committee – five seats for MDP; four seats for DRP; one seat for PA; Velidhoo MP Ali Mohamed as the Independent MP

13. ‘241’ Security Services Committee * – five seats for MDP; three seats for DRP; one seat for PA; one seat for JP; one seat for DQP; Guraidhoo MP Ibrahim Riza and Kaashidhoo MP Ismail Abdul Hameed as the Independent MP

* Article 241 of the Constitution states, “A committee of the People’s Majlis shall be established to exercise continuing oversight of the operations of the security services. The committee shall include representation from all the different political parties within the People’s Majlis.” Unlike the other 12 standing committees, which has 11 seats, the 241 committee has 13 seats.

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PA split from DRP forces reworking of committee composition

Speaker Abdulla Shahid urged parliamentary group (PG) leaders today to agree upon a revised composition for standing committees by the end of the day, following official notice of the People’s Alliance’s (PA) split from the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).

“Due to this change, according to the rules of procedure we have to carry out the task of allocating members to the Majlis’ standing committee,” he said, appealing for the parties to determine the composition by the end of the day. “A month and a half of this session has passed without any committees functioning.”

Shahid noted that with the opposition coalition dissolved, 24 MPs remained to the DRP after the departure of PA’s seven MPs.

Article 101(b) of the parliamentary rules states the number of MPs each party has “should be taken as the basis” for determining the composition of committees.

Prior to the split, the combined strength of the DRP-PA entitled the opposition coalition to 39 percent of each of the 11-member committees, or four seats in each committee.

The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) with its 34 MPs meanwhile commands five seats (45 percent) in each committee.

MP Ibrahim ‘Ibu’ Mohamed Solih, parliamentary group leader of the MDP, told Minivan News that PG leaders met today and “have reached an agreement.”

“I hope that it will be announced tomorrow,” he added.

Ibu Solih revealed that the ruling party had not demanded control of specific committees.

“In some committees, we have even let go of one of our five seats,” he said. “In any case, I hope the decision will be announced tomorrow.”

Much of the current parliament session that began in June has been consumed by disputes over committee composition, which was sparked by the defection of opposition MPs to the ruling party during the May recess.

The committee reshuffle was necessitated when the MDP became the majority party with 34 seats.

As all eight Independent MPs had a voting record favoring either the government or opposition, the parties had to agree upon which Independent MP would sit on which committee.

After weeks of forced cancellations and wrangling at the negotiation table, parliamentary group leaders reached a compromise to allow the opposition to retain control of the influential Public Accounts Committee and Government Oversight Committee.

The ruling party meanwhile won provisional control of the coveted ‘241’ Security Services Committee with MPs Ismail Abdul Hameed and Ali Mohamed chosen among three Independent MPs on the committee.

MPs of the DRP’s breakaway Z-faction however objected to both the compromise and the nature of the sitting where it was voted through, vowing to disrupt future sittings in protest.

Defending the party leadership at the time, DRP MP Rozaina Adam told press that the party had “sacrificed” its slots on some committees to allow Independents and DQP MP Riyaz Rasheed to have a seat.

Rozaina explained that two of the Independent MPs on the 241 committee were “two MPs that both sides believe to be neutral.”

Revised composition of the most influential standing committees as agreed upon on July 5,

Public Accounts Committee – five seats for MDP; four seats for DRP-PA; one seat for Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP); Eydhafushi MP Ahmed “Redwave” Saleem as the Independent MP

Economics Committee – five seats for MDP; three seats for DRP-PA; one seat for Jumhooree Party (JP); one seat for DQP; Kaashidhoo MP Ismail Abdul Hameed as the Independent MP

Independent Institutions Committee – five seats for MDP; five seats for DRP-PA; Kulhudhufushi South MP Mohamed Nasheed as the Independent MP

Government Oversight Committee – five seats for MDP; five seats for DRP-PA; one seat for JP

National Development Committee – five seats for MDP; five seats for DRP-PA; Meedhoo MP Ahmed Shiyam Mohamed as the Independent MP

National Security Committee – five seats for MDP; four seats for DRP-PA; Dhuvafaru MP Mohamed Zubair and Guraidhoo MP Ibrahim Riza as the Independent MPs

Ethics Committee – four seats for MDP; four seats for DRP-PA; one seat for JP; Meedhoo MP Ahmed Shiyam Mohamed and Kudahuvadhoo MP Ahmed Amir as the Independent MPs

’241′ Security Services Committee – four seats for MDP; two seats for DRP-PA; one seat for JP; one seat for DQP; Guraidhoo MP Ibrahim Riza, Velidhoo MP Ali Mohamed and Kaashidhoo MP Ismail Abdul Hameed as the Independent MP

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