The Parliament Secretariat has clarified that public petitions submitted through the newly introduced e-petition portal will only be considered valid for signatures once officially opened for public endorsement.
The announcement comes amid observations that some petitioners are gathering signatures before their submissions are formally listed on the portal, a practice that does not meet parliamentary requirements.
Under the new system, a petition must first secure at least five initial signatures through the e-portal to be considered for review. The Petitions Committee, operating under the Parliament rules of procedure, will then assess whether the submission meets procedural standards. Only after approval will the petition be publicly listed for broader signatures.
The petition will be deemed official only after it is opened for public signing through the e-portal, the Parliament Secretariat told PSM News. Signatures collected beforehand will not count, as the petition remains the petitioner’s private initiative until validated. The public has been urged to verify that any petition they sign has been officially published on Parliament’s platform to ensure compliance.
Launched to modernise parliamentary functions and enhance civic engagement, the e-petition portal allows Maldivians nationwide to submit grievances digitally, track their progress, and endorse causes online. Signatories will be authenticated via the national digital identification ‘e-Faas’ system, ensuring transparency. The portal also reduces reliance on lawmakers to table petitions and outlines increasing parliamentary actions based on signature thresholds.
This system empowers citizens to directly influence policymaking while maintaining accountability, the Secretariat noted, reaffirming the portal’s role in strengthening democratic participation.
For petitions to advance, the public must adhere to the formal process—signing only after a petition clears verification and appears on the portal. This measure safeguards the integrity of the petitioning system and ensures alignment with parliamentary regulations.