Majlis session ended amid chaos and commotion

Today’s session of the People’s Majlis was ended when members of opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and those of the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) which leads the government coalition began heated arguments and fighting in the chamber.

Six special motions were tabled for today’s session of the Majlis, five of which were proposed by PPM, while the other was proposed by MDP.

The Speaker drew lots to choose which proposal to be dealt with first, as the Majlis Regulation does not specify a procedure to be followed in case there was more than one special motion in one session.

When the Speaker announced that the motion proposed by ruling party member Asma Rasheed had won the lot, members of MDP started chaos in the chamber by shouting. Soon, fistfights and heated arguments and shouting erupted, and the Speaker ended the live feed and ended the session.

Some opposition members claimed that they “did not want to carry on the session while the people are facing a water crisis”. Taking a point of order, MDP member and MP for Machchangolhi Uthuru Constituency Mariya Ahmed Didi said that “while there is water at the People’s Majlis, the people go without water”.

Shouting erupted as Mariya was speaking, and some members walked towards the Speaker’s Bench, some MPs from MDP carrying bottles of water.

The Speaker did not announce a time to resume the session.