The Parliament says they are preparing to hold the extraordinary sitting requested by the main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

The last parliamentary sitting saw many lawmakers of the main ruling party appeal for an extension of the session; a request denied by Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed citing an extension required to be proposed by the chair.

After Nasheed concluded the last sitting of the second session of the parliament for the prevailing year on June 22nd – MDP’s Parliamentary Group requested an extraordinary sitting on the same day. As per the parliament’s regulations, an extraordinary sitting, if requested, must be held within 14 days. The 14th day, in this regard, is Thursday.

The request was submitted with the endorsement of 29 MPs, under Article 45 (d) of the Parliament’s Standing Orders, which requires the signatures of two-third of the members.

Communications Director at People’s Majlis Hassan Ziyau confirmed to Sun that preparations were underway to hold the extraordinary sitting.

Ziyau said an exact date of the extraordinary sitting will be set later.

Many works were pending when the parliament’s second session was concluded. For most of June, the parliament was in a deadlock prompted by the changes to the parliament’s registry and the delays in reconstituting the parliament’s standing committees in light of these changes.

Meanwhile, there a four no-confidence motions pending at the parliament presently.

The deadlock in the parliament has been blamed on Speaker Nasheed by MDP, while the opposition alleges the deadlock a conspiracy by pro-government lawmakers by the influence of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.