Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Hood has said that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has designated 4th February 2021 as a public holiday.
He said in a tweet that the President designated that day as a holiday on the occasion of the formal opening of the Parliament for its new term.
The President is expected to give his Presidential Address at the inaugural parliamentary session.
According to the Maldivian Constitution, the state executive or the President of the country must deliver a presidential address focusing on the pledges and work conducted, completed as well as commenced during the previous year.
The president is also expected to highlight or detail out the government's plans on various socio-economic sectors for the current year while mapping out prospective plans for the future.
In last year's Presidential Address, President Solih had claimed the current administration aims to commence work on realizing their pledges - which has become the mandate of the ruling party's vision and mission as per Maldives Democratic Party (MDP).
He had further asserted the government will vigorously attempt to slice the state debt with a better focus on budget management.
But unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has plunged the island nation further into debt after it was forced to close its borders and go under lockdown for months to combat the fast-spreading virus.
