Political Parties Bill and Parliament Members Privileges Bill ratified

President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has ratified the Political Parties Bill and Parliament Member's Privileges Bill today.

The bills were passed by the Parliament on the 5th March, Tuesday of last week. The President had sent the bills back to the Parliament, which were then passed for a second time without any amendment, making it mandatory for the President to sign the bills.

Speaking to the press after signing the bill, President Waheed said that his intention was not to hold the bills back without ratification, and that he has signed them as soon as some of the mistakes in the bill were corrected.

“The bill came to the office yesterday, after its mistakes were corrected. The people for whom the bill is delayed, go ahead and tell why it so,” said the President.

He said that the bill was formulated in such a way that it did not reflect the best interest of all parties and that the leader of the parties in Parliament had raised their concern regarding its delay yesterday was only because of a misunderstand.