Parliament: E‑petitions to open for signatures once eligibility criteria are met

The Parliament has announced that petitions submitted through its newly launched electronic petition system will be opened for public signatures once they meet the eligibility requirements set out in the Rules of Procedure.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Parliament Office said a petition must first secure five initial signatures before it can be published on the portal for wider endorsement.

If those initial signatures are exhausted before publication, petitioners who still wish to proceed must submit a request through the e‑petition portal. Upon receiving the request, staff assigned to the Petition Committee will verify whether the petition meets all procedural requirements.

The office said the signature collection will be opened once the petition is confirmed to be in compliance.

The public has been advised to ensure that a petition is officially published on the portal before signing, to avoid endorsing petitions that have not yet met the required criteria.

Petitioners will be notified of all developments related to their submissions through registered eFaas mail.

Two petitions have been submitted through the portal so far: one calling for action against wearing bikinis in public places, and another seeking a ban on social media use for children under 16 in the Maldives.