Parliament refutes President Waheed’s claim of 100 pending bills

In a press release yesterday (August 23), the parliament secretariat revealed that 43 bills were required to give effect to the constitution adopted in 2008, of which 24 were submitted and 18 were passed by parliament during the past five years.

The legislation was mandated by article 299 (b)(2) of the constitution, which states, “the People’s Majlis shall until the enactment and commencement of laws required to give effect to this Constitution, approve a course of action in relation to these matters. The Executive shall within thirty days of the commencement of this Constitution draw up a list of such laws and submit it to the People’s Majlis. Within ninety days of the commencement of this Constitution, the People’s Majlis shall draw up and approve a schedule for enactment and commencement of such laws.”

The parliament’s press statement noted that current Attorney General Azima Shukoor was in the same post in 2008 when the list of 43 laws was submitted. Azima – former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s last attorney general – was reappointed to the post by President Waheed following the controversial transfer of presidential power on February 7, 2012.