Activists against MP

A group of young activists, who have been conducting a campaign against the decision of the Members of Parliament to take a monthly allowance of MVR 20,000 per month for their work at parliamentary standing committees in addition to their MVR 62,500 monthly salary, have rejected the President’s special invitation to lunch at Mulee’aage the Presidential Palace. The President reportedly wanted to discuss the matter with them over lunch at his official residence.

Shafaz Vajeeh, leading activist in the campaign said today that the President extended his invitation for them to visit Mulee’aage and discuss the issue of MP’s committee allowance together with some of the MPs themselves. Shafaz said that they had rejected the invitation because such a “meeting in hiding” would send wrong messages to the people.

“We spoke to the President about the issue near the office of the Ministry of Finance. However, shortly after our encounter with the President, we received a request from Mulee’aage, asking us to visit the Palace to meet the President and some MPs over lunch. We do not think such a “meeting in hiding” would be appropriate, as it may lead to wrong impressions among the public”, Shafaz said.

Shafaz said that they had in turn invited the President to come over and discuss the matter with them in a public forum.

“As we do not believe that meeting with the President and MPs in secret would be an appropriate thing to do, we have filed a request to conduct such a meeting in a public forum. However, I am sure that there has been no response to that request. If that becomes possible, we will try to make sure that as many people as possible can attend the meeting. I am positive that there is nothing that MPs can say to justify their decision to take this allowance”, Shafaz said.

Shafaz further stated that committee allowance taken by MPs was in no way rightful and that it was nothing but bribery.

When the activists met the President as he came out of the Ministry of Finance building yesterday, the President had rejected to extend his support the campaign saying that “the People’s Majlis had decided to take the allowance, and it has been budgeted. There is nothing that the government can legally do to stop that”.