The Parliament of the Maldives has approved an amendment enabling citizens to submit petitions online, taking a significant shift towards greater public accessibility and digital participation in parliamentary processes.

The amendment to Chapter 51 of the Parliament Regulations was passed with 57 votes in favour and 9 against during a sitting of the 20th People’s Majlis.

Under the revised regulations, two categories of petitions may now be submitted to Parliament: paper petitions and electronic petitions (e-petitions). Paper petitions will continue to be lodged through the Parliament Secretariat, while e-petitions will be submitted through a newly established electronic petition portal.

The amendment sets out the formal requirements a petition must meet. Petitions must be written in accordance with Dhivehi language rules, and if submitted petition exceeds more than one page, each page must be individually signed by the petitioner. All petitions, whether paper or electronic, must include a minimum of 500 signatures. Petitions that do not meet these conditions will not be accepted.

Following the amendment’s approval, the People’s Majlis announced that the electronic petition portal will go live on 8 February 2026, with the new regulations taking effect on the same day. The initiative is expected to broaden avenues for public engagement and streamline how citizens raise issues with the legislature.