Parliament Committee Approves Rule Change to Allow Multiple Petitions on Single Issues

The General Purpose Committee of the Maldivian Parliament has approved a significant amendment to the Standing Orders, allowing citizens to submit multiple petitions regarding the same issue, even if a previous petition on that matter has already been filed. The decision follows a proposal by Mohamed Mamdooh, Member of Parliament for Funadhoo, to repeal a specific provision in Section 257-1 of the Standing Orders. Under the previous rules, the Majlis (the Maldivian Parliament) prohibited any petition that sought an action already requested in a prior submission. This legislative shift was prompted by a current conflict regarding the Decentralisation Act. A petition has already been submitted seeking to withdraw a proposed amendment to the Act, which was introduced by MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakuru of Thulhaadhoo. Simultaneously, there have been calls to submit a second petition aimed at expediting that same amendment. Under the old regulations, the second request would have been blocked as long as the first petition remained under consideration. This restriction effectively limited the ability of different groups to voice opposing or supplementary views on a single piece of legislation through formal petitioning. The General Purpose Committee approved the rule change with seven votes from members present during the meeting. By removing this barrier, the Parliament aims to provide more flexibility in how public grievances and requests are processed, ensuring that various perspectives on critical policy changes can be formally recorded and reviewed by lawmakers.