Parliament to open for year 2019 on February 7

The inaugural sitting of the Parliament for the year 2019 is scheduled for February 7.

The Parliament issued a statement this Thursday, announcing the inaugural sitting of the Parliament will be held at Dharubaaruge on February 7.

Article 84 of the Maldivian Constitution requires the Maldivian President to deliver his presidential address in the inaugural sitting.

It will mark the first time for new Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, a former veteran parliamentarian, to deliver his presidential address to the Parliament.

The term of the current Parliament representatives will come to an end this year.

The parliamentary elections are scheduled for April 6, and the new Parliament will have 87 representatives – two from newly declared electoral districts.

The main ruling party, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is running for all 87 parliamentary seats. The other coalition partners, Adhaalath Party (AP) has announced it will be competing for 13 seats, Jumhoory Party (JP) is yet to announce its plans for the elections, while the Maumoon Reform Movement (MRM) has opened the opportunity to apply for interested parties who wish to run for the Parliament with the endorsement of former Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Meanwhile, the main opposition party, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) is in the middle of a legal dispute over its leadership, and the senior leadership of the party aligned to former Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has filed to register a new political party, the People’s National Congress (PNC).