MDP Motion to Strike Debate-Before-Vote Rule Fails; Parliament Adopts Amendment to Restrict Debate

A motion to delete a newly adopted sub-clause of the Parliament's Standing Orders, which stipulates that a resolution can only be debated after it has been accepted for consideration by the House through a vote, has failed. The amendment to Article 191 was passed by the Parliament on Tuesday, despite an attempt by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to have a specific sub-clause removed. The amendment, introduced by Thulusdhoo constituency independent MP Abdul Hannaan Aboobakuru, adds four new sub-clauses to the existing Article 191, fundamentally changing the procedure for debating resolutions. The rejected sub-clause proposed by Galolhu North MP Mohamed Ibrahim sought to remove the new clause requiring a vote on whether to accept a resolution for debate before the debate itself begins. Under the new rule, if a majority of members vote to accept the resolution, an initial debate is held before forwarding it to the relevant committee. If the vote is lost, the resolution is deemed defeated and no further debate is allowed. Mohamed Ibrahim's motion to delete this sub-clause was supported by 10 MDP members and the independent MP for Addu Meedhoo, Abdurrahman, but was outvoted by 55 ruling Progressive National Congress (PNC) members. Subsequently, the PNC, with 56 votes in favor, passed the entire amendment as originally proposed. The opposition and the independent member voted against incorporating the amendment. Prior to this change, the standard procedure for resolutions was similar to that of bills, with an initial debate opened by the member introducing the resolution before it was sent to the relevant committee. The new rule effectively gives the majority in the House at any given time the power to kill a resolution without debate by voting down the motion to accept it.