Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed has stated regular parliament sittings can be resumed in accordance with the guidelines of the Health Protection Agency (HPA), as there is currently no community spread of COVID-19 in the Maldives.
The speaker made the statement during the discussions held with parliamentary group (PG) leaders and committee chairs on resuming regular parliament sittings amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The speaker said there is no excuse to delay the pending work of the parliament, noting urgent legislative solutions are needed to postpone the local council elections. He said HPA has formed guidelines to be followed during the health crisis, adding the parliament can resume regular sittings while following the guidelines as there is currently no community spread of COVID-19 in the Maldives.
Furthermore, the speaker said the government also needs the counsel and assistance of the parliament during the current crisis. He said all bodies of the state need to work together to overcome the situation.
During the discussions, PG leaders and committee chairs also expressed the importance of resuming regular sittings, highlighting the need for the parliament to fully function in order to address and resolve certain matters amid the crisis.
Parliament sittings have been conducted online since the State of Health Emergency was declared in the country. However, the speaker cancelled the online sittings scheduled for this week in order to allow committees to complete their work during this period.