Parliament goes to recess with 57 percent of works complete

Speaker Mohamed Aslam states the parliament completed 57.3 percent of the works before the legislative body went to recess on Thursday.

The third session of the parliament, the last of this year, was extended on three separate occasions.

Concluding the session, Speaker Aslam said a total of 39 sittings were held during the third session with the most important work being carried out during the session being the passage of the state budget proposed for next year and the supplementary budget proposed for the remainder of this year.

Other important bills passed during the session included;

• General Elections Act
• Local Council Election Act
• Industrial Relations Bill
• Occupation Health and Safety Bill
• Company Act

Speaker Aslam said works on 25 resolutions submitted to the parliament had been initiated during the third session – of which works on six resolutions have been completed while works on 17 resolutions remain at committee stages.

Therewith, the speaker said the parliament, in the third session, completed 57.3 percent of the works.

Parliamentary sittings during a large portion of the third session had been stalled over the disagreements prompted by the no-confidence motion filed against former speaker Mohamed Naheed.

The no-confidence motion had been purposely stalled from proceeding by nitpicking various regulations of the parliament. MDP sought to resolve the deadlock through Supreme Court which ultimately decided that the no-confidence motion had been stalled unlawfully.

Nasheed tendered his resignation when the parliament attempted to proceed with the no-confidence motion following the judgment. 

Notably, as the parliament goes to recess on Thursday, the approval of the new administration’s cabinet remains pending at the committee stage. Concern has been raised over the delay in granting approval for the cabinet.