Day of inauguration of Parliament for ’19 declared a public holiday

The day of the formal inauguration of the Parliament for the year 2019 has been declared a public holiday.

The inaugural sitting of the Parliament for the year 2019 is scheduled to be held at Dharubaaruge on February 7.

Chief Communications Strategist at the President’s Office and the President’s Spokesperson, Ibrahim Hoodh announced this Monday that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has declared February 7 a public holiday.

President @ibusolih has today declared that the formal opening of Majlis on 7 February 2019 shall be a public holiday.

— Ibrahim Hood (@MvSpokesperson) January 21, 2019

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 Solih, a former veteran parliamentarian, to deliver his presidential address to the Parliament.

The Parliament went into recess on December 15, 2018 without passing several crucial pieces of legislature for the government despite multiple extensions to the last session.

The government coalition discussed holding extraordinary sittings outside the regular session to pass the legislature, but the plans were never realized.

The day of the inaugural sitting of the Parliament this year falls on the anniversary of the end of the previous MDP administration, which is in power once more.