Constitution Drafting Committee to meet twice a day amidst concerns of missing November 30th deadline

The Drafting Committee of the Peoples Special Majlis (Constitutional Assembly) would meet twice a day from this week in an increased effort to meet a resolution to finalize the draft Constitution by 30 November 2007, official statements said.  
 
The Drafting Committee held the first two such meetings of one and half hours duration each on 9th September.

The 23 member committee with a representative from each constituency would also seek for some of its members to arrange leaves of absence from their respective government offices to enable them meet the new meetings schedule, official statements said.

Four proposals made on 5th September 2007, aimed at solving problems facing the Drafting Committee, failed to receive the required number of votes to be adopted.

The drafting committee had been beset by lack of quorum since inception three years ago. Quorum was met only at 97 sessions out of the 171 sessions held so far. Only 32 sessions saw the required number of members in attendance to get any drafts approved.

Independent members and members affiliated to the Maldivian Democratic Party in the Peoples Special Majlis (Constitutional Assembly) have continued the criticism that President Gayoom’s Party, the DRP, had dragged on the process through their majority in the house. Critics of the DRP note that over 100-million Rufiyaa had been expended on salaries and expenses of the Peoples Special Majlis the past three years. Low turn outs and filibustering by DRP members, have led to a loss of credibility among the general public that the assembly would complete the draft Constitution by 30th November 2007.

Critics have also noted that the deliberate delays were instigated by President Gayoom through his party’s majority in the assembly, reflecting his influence on the draft to be tailor-made for his intentions of staying in power.