Tuesday 27 Oct 2026
Thulhaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakr: Hannan's amendment to Parliament's standing orders requiring resolutions to pass vote before debate has been approved by the Parliament. (Photo/People's Majlis)
The Parliament, on Tuesday, amended its Standing Orders to require a preliminary vote on whether resolutions should be accepted before they can be debated – with any resolution that fails to secure majority support for acceptance will be rejected immediately.
The amendment was passed with 56 votes from the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), which holds a supermajority in Parliament. Eleven members of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) voted against the amendment.
Previously, Article 191 of the Standing Orders allowed members to debate a resolution immediately after it was submitted, with a vote on its admissibility held only after the debate concluded.
Under the newly approved amendment, the first step after a resolution is submitted will be a vote on whether to accept it. If the Parliament votes against accepting the resolution, it will be dismissed without being opened for floor debate. The amendment also prohibits the submission of resolutions on matters already scheduled for debate in Parliament.
The amendment was proposed by Abdul Hannan Aboobakr, the government-aligned independent member representing the Thulhaadhoo constituency.
Although the General Purpose Committee unanimously approved the amendment last Wednesday, Mohamed Ibrahim, the MDP member representing Galolhu North, proposed retaining the opportunity for debate before the admissibility vote. However, the proposal was rejected by 55 PNC votes.
MDP members raised concerns that the amendment would restrict parliamentary debate, while PNC members argued that the change was necessary to prevent the opposition from submitting redundant or “wasteful” resolutions.
The MDP, which holds 13 seats in Parliament, has frequently submitted resolutions concerning government decisions and public issues. However, with the ruling PNC holding 74 seats, the amendment means that resolutions must secure majority support at the initial acceptance stage to proceed to debate.
