The House of Representatives has dissolved all its Ad Hoc Committees with immediate effect, directing chairmen and members of the affected committees to stop all activities being conducted in their names.
The directive was issued by the Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, in a statement addressed to the chairmen and members of the committees and signed by the Clerk of the House, Sidi Ibrahim.
The dissolution followed earlier directives urging the committees to conclude their assignments and submit their reports in line with the Standing Orders and established practices of the House.
According to the statement, only two Ad Hoc Committees requested and received extensions under Order 18, Rule 5 of the Standing Orders. However, the two-week extensions granted to them had expired.
The Clerk reminded lawmakers that Ad Hoc Committees were temporary bodies established to carry out specific, time-bound assignments and were not intended to continue indefinitely.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Honourable Members are reminded that Ad Hoc Committees are temporary Committees of the House established for specific and time-bound mandates. They are not intended to subsist indefinitely beyond the purpose and period for which they were constituted.”
The statement also cited Order 18, Rule 11, Paragraph 5 of the Standing Orders, which provides for “Limitations as to time of Reports” and requires committees to submit their reports within the period allotted to them.
“Having exceeded the time allotted, the continued existence of the Ad Hoc Committees is no longer tenable,” the statement said.
The House said the dissolution took effect from Friday, August 28, 2026, adding that all activities being conducted in the name of the affected committees “shall cease forthwith.”
Chairmen of the dissolved committees were directed to forward all outstanding reports, working documents, records and other materials relating to their assignments to the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives for safekeeping.
