News Desk
MALÉ, — The Deputy Speaker of the People’s Majlis, Ahmed Saleem, urged lawmakers on Wednesday to engage in more rigorous, substance-driven debate on proposed legislation, arguing that parliamentarians should focus directly on the specific clauses of bills to better inform the public.
Presiding over Wednesday’s legislative session, Saleem—a People’s National Congress (PNC) MP representing the Eydhafushi constituency—intervened during debate on a government-sponsored amendment to the Utility Regulatory Authority Act.
The floor intervention came after remarks by Ibrahim Didi, a PNC member representing South Feydhoo. During Didi’s statement, Saleem asked the lawmaker to align his comments more closely with the specific subject matter of the bill.
Addressing the chamber, Saleem called on members to bring an academic and analytical focus to the floor, dissecting statutory language provision by provision. He noted that lawmakers possess the professional capability to elevate floor debates and insisted that a granular examination of legislative clauses is essential if the public is to clearly understand the real impact of proposed laws.
The legislation under consideration, introduced on behalf of the government by Vilufushi MP Hassan Waheed, seeks to reform the governance of the Utility Regulatory Authority (URA). The bill proposes expanding the authority’s board of directors to seven members—including its chief executive—while broadening its regulatory mandates.