Parliament holds midnight committee, serves agenda at dawn

The Parliament is scheduled to hold the last sitting of the current session at 01:30 pm Thursday, with lawmakers sent the agenda for the sitting at 03:13 am.

Parliamentary sittings usually begin at 09:00 am.

However, Thursday’s sitting is set to begin at 01:30 pm. Concluding Wednesday’s sitting, during which the Parliament made the controversial decision to dismiss two Supreme Court judges, Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla had announced that a sitting would be held the next day.

The Parliament held nighttime committee meetings again on Wednesday, in a bid to complete pending work before the legislative assembly goes into recess after the end of the first session of the year.

The Judiciary Committee held a meeting at 09:00 pm on Wednesday, to discuss the government’s attorney general’s office bill, which the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) used its supermajority in the Parliament to send it back to the committee after debating in favor of it just moments before. The committee has now sent the bill back to the Parliament floor after revising it to grant the President the power to appoint and dismiss the deputy attorney general.

ރައްޔިތުންގެ މަޖިލީހުގެ ޖުޑީޝިއަރީ ކޮމިޓީއިން، ބަންޑާރަ ނައިބުގެ އޮފީހުގެ ބިލު ދިރާސާކުރުން pic.twitter.com/RM2pEzgs1y

— People's Majlis (@mvpeoplesmajlis) May 14, 2025

Meanwhile, the Decentralization Committee held a meeting at 12:30 am Thursday to finish work on amendments proposed by the government to the Decentralization Act.

ރައްޔިތުންގެ މަޖިލީހުގެ ލާމަރުކަޒީ ކޮމިޓީއިން، ޤާނޫނު ނަންބަރު 7/2010 (ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ އިދާރީ ދާއިރާތައް ލާމަރުކަޒީ އުސޫލުން ހިންގުމުގެ ޤާނޫނު) އަށް … އިޞްލާޙު ގެނައުމުގެ ބިލު ދިރާސާކުރުން pic.twitter.com/TNKDSUA8v0

— People's Majlis (@mvpeoplesmajlis) May 14, 2025

When repeatedly pressed by reporters, the Secretariat of the Parliament said Thursday’s sitting would be held at 01:30 pm, and that the agenda would be shared later.

Parliamentarians did not receive the agenda for Thursday’s sitting until 03:13 am.

The first item in the agenda for Thursday’s sitting is a no-confidence motion filed against Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen by the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). The Parliament will next hear committee reports on the counter-gang crime bill, the attorney general’s office bill and the decentralization bill.

The Parliament is expected to pass all three bills before it goes into recess.