Presidential Address to be delivered on 2 March

The parliament has scheduled a sitting for 2 March 2015, to inaugurate the new parliament year and for President Abdulla Yameen to deliver the annual Presidential Address.

Speaking to Sun today, Secretary General of the Parliament Ahmed Mohamed said the President’s presentation of the Presidential Address to the 18th Parliament, is the only item on the day’s agenda.

Under Article 84 of the Constitution, on the first meeting of the first session of parliament, the President shall deliver an address consisting of future plans to the development of the country.

According to the Parliament Standing Orders, the first sitting of the first session of the parliament shall be held on the Monday or Thursday closest to the day of initiation.

The parliament resumes on 2 March after a two-month recess, since the end of the last session of the past year. The parliament went into recess on 25 December.

With 44 members, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), the governing party, has majority going into the next session of the parliament. The total goes up to 49 with the members of the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) parliamentary group, which is included in the government coalition.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has 22 members in the parliament and their allies, Jumhooree Party (JP) has 12 members. Adhaalath party has one member, and the only independent MP is the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Moosa Manik for the Hulhu-Henveiru constituency.