Parliament Committee to seek opinions from Counsel General and Attorney General for secret voting issue

Parliamentary general committee reviewing the matter of conducting votes of no confidence for the President and Ministers of the Cabinet in secret, has decided to ask professional opinions from the Parliament Counsel General and the Attorney General to seek a way forward regarding the matter.

The issue became a matter of contention after the Supreme Court ruled the Parliament's decision to amend their regulation to allow the conduct of no-confidence votes against the President and his Minister in secret, as unconstitutional.

Committee member and Vaikaradhoo MP Ali Arif said today that the committee has now decided to seek the opinions from the Parliament’s Counsel General and the Attorney General.

“Counsel General had represented the Parliament in court regarding the secret voting issue. The members of the committee reviewing the issue have decided to hear what the Counsel General has to say, and also to hear the Attorney General’s opinion. That the members want this, by summoning them to the committee,” MP Ali Arif said.

Parliament’s Chair had forwarded the matter to the committee on the 9th of this month requesting them to review the matter to see if new amendments need to be brought to the parliament’s regulation in order to resolve the issue.