Second parliamentary sitting after election adjourned over lack of quorum

The parliamentary sitting scheduled for Wednesday – the second since the parliamentary election – was adjourned due to lack of quorum.

The sitting was adjourned as the number of lawmakers legally required to hold a sitting were not present, the Parliament’s Communications Director Hassan Ziyau told Sun. The constitution states 22 lawmakers are required to be present to hold a parliamentary sitting.

Notably, although a sitting was held on Tuesday, no vote was asked for at the request of the majority and minority leader in light of the lesser number of lawmakers present for the sitting.

The vote was scheduled for this morning’s sitting instead.

Moreover, Construction Minister Dr. Abdulla Muthalib was slated to appear before the parliament for questioning at today’s sitting to respond to two questions posed by Kendhikulhudhoo MP Ahmed Easa.

Over 200,000 Maldivians voted in the parliamentary elections held on Sunday, in which 326 candidates contested for 93 seats in the next parliamentary assembly, including six new seats.

The preliminary results show that PNC secured 66 seats, accounting for more than two-thirds of the parliament.

Meanwhile, MDP suffered a heavy defeat, winning just 12 seats. Long-serving lawmakers representing the party had failed to defend their seats in the election.

A significant number of members in the outgoing parliamentary assembly had not contested in Sunday’s election. Only 11 members in the 19^th parliamentary assembly defended their seats in Sunday’s election. They are:

• Meedhoo MP Ahmed Siyam
• South Galolhu MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem
• Hanimaadhoo MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa (Gapo)
• Vaikaradhoo MP Hussain Ziyadh (Fittey)
• Eydhafushi MP Ahmed Saleem (Red Wave)
• Thulusdhoo MP Ibrahim Naseem
• Mathiveri MP Hassan Zareer
• Maamgili MP Qasim Ibrahim
• Mahibadhoo MP Ahmed Thoriq 
• Dhangethi MP Mohamed Nazim
• South Hithadhoo MP Ibrahim Nazil

The electoral term of the outgoing parliamentary assembly is scheduled to expire on May 15^th although the new parliamentary assembly is scheduled to be sworn-in on May 28th. Barring any other decision on the matter, the last sitting of the outgoing parliamentary assembly will be held on May 13^th.