Parliament comes to a standstill for a third consecutive day

Parliament session was suspended for a third consecutive day today due to issues relating to the Political Parties Act and the Parliament Members Powers and Privileges Act.

Parliament's sessions for the past two days were suspended following insistent calls for points of order regarding the delayed ratification of the two bills. While discussions between leaders of the political had not produced a result during the past two occasions, today’s session was also brought to a halt amongst calls for points of order, posing the questions to whether the smaller parties have indeed been dissolved, and if so, declaring that the parliament cannot be continued without determining the changes that must take effect to the composition of the committees of the Parliament

The issues were mostly heatedly noted by Kudahuvadhoo MP Ahmed Amir and Vilufushi MP Riyaz Rasheed. MP Amir described the parliament as an “assembly of grave injustices.”

MP Riyaz Rasheed aimed his allegations at Kulhudhuffushi-South MP Mohamed Nasheed accusing that the political parties act was a product of a plot by MP Nasheed to dissolve Gaumee Party.

MP Nasheed could not be reached for a comment regarding Riyaz’s allegations.

“The Attorney General has submitted the issue of these two laws to the Supreme Court. Gaumee Party has also submitted this matter to the Supreme Court. This was staged by the Chairman of the Committee on Independent Institutions Kulhudhuffushi-South MP, deliberately after tweeting that he will dissolve Dr. Hassan Saeed’s party. So, as long as this matter has not been decided, the session shall not continue,” said MP Riyaz Rasheed.

Continuing on the subject of the political parties act, Riyaz said that the Elections Commission should have processed the party membership forms submitted for verification before the President had ratified the political parties bill, and that while the parties have claimed that they have submitted such forms to the Elections Commission, the Parliament Committee on Independent Institutions should have summon the Elections Commission and questioned them on why it has not be carried out as such.

Speaking at today’s session, MP Amir said that the Parliament Members Powers and Privileges Act contains a number of clauses that contradict with the Constitution. He also said that Political Parties Act was a product of the collaboration between major political parties in parliament and the Chairman of Committee on Independent Institutions.

“The larger parties can come together to accomplish anything in the Parliament today. Even dissolve the Supreme Court, or remove the President the from power. The parliament powers and privileges bill has a number of clauses that contradict with the Constitution. The political parties act was an act of grave injustice committed by the major political parties in Parliament and the chairman of committee on independent institutions jointly, by working together as a means to dissolve the smaller parties,” said Amir.

Parliament Speaker Abdulla Shahid said that today's session will also be closed to hold discussions with the leaders of the political parties as a means to find a solution to the disagreements between the members.