Speaker Mohamed Nasheed has said that the Parliament will work on five bills this week.
Beginning Monday's Parliament sitting, Nasheed said five bills had been put on the agenda for the week. The most important bill is on amending the constitution to restructure the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). The bill was submitted by opposing PPM's Mahibadhoo MP Ahmed Thoriq. The other bills include a bill on international trade of endangered species, amendments to the Water and Sanitation Act, amendments to the Small and Medium Enterprise Act, and amendments to the Judge's Act.
The government-sponsored bill on the Judge's Act was submitted by Kanditheemu MP Ahmed Shaheem Abdul Hakeem, seeking to provide maternity and paternity leave for judges. The debate on the bill commenced at Monday's sitting.
Sharing information on the bills currently at the committee stage, Nasheed said 16 bills are pending at relevant committees. Five bills are with joint committees, while the Committee on Social Affairs is working on four bills. The Judiciary committee is working on two bills, and the Economic Affairs Committee, Public Accounts Committee, Decentralization Committee, Committee on National Development and Heritage, and the National Security Service committee are each working on one bill.
The Parliament on Monday discussed approving President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's appointment to the Privatization Board Asim Mohamed and the Maldives' participation in a World Trade Organization (WTO) protocol and forwarded them to the relevant committees.
