MP's not required to wear ties when attending parliament sittings

Parliament's General Committee yesterday approved an amendment to the Rules of Procedure that will make wearing a tie optional for members attending parliament sittings.

This decision follows a recent protest where several opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) members attended sittings without ties.

The General Committee approved the proposal, submitted by Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla, to include the guidelines for members’ attire within the Rules of Procedure. However, this amendment will only be formally incorporated into the Rules of Procedure after being passed by the Parliament floor.

Speaker Abdul Raheem initially proposed defining the official attire in the Rules after three MDP members stopped wearing ties as a form of protest against the non-attendance of Ministers to answer questions.

The protesting members were Vaikaradhoo MP Hussain Ziyad (Fitte), Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir, and Galolhu North district MP Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudu). However, MP Mohamed later reversed his decision and resumed wearing a tie to the sitting.

After reviewing the Speaker's proposal, the General Committee drafted a schedule to be added to the Rules, specifying four categories of formal attire:

Although "shirt, tie, and trousers" is listed as official attire, the inclusion of "formal attire that does not violate the general public decorum" is interpreted to mean members can attend without a tie, wearing a long-sleeved shirt tucked in with trousers and formal shoes.

The section, passed by the General Committee to be added as "section 5" of the Rules, includes a list of prohibited clothing but makes no mention of mandatory tie-wearing.

The amendment passed by the General Committee states that members who violate the dress code will face disciplinary action under Article 71 of the Parliament's Rules of Procedure. Penalties under this article range up to the most severe punishment, which is suspension from attending Parliament and committee meetings.

The amendment also mandates that non-members, including visitors to the Parliament, must adhere to this dress code.