Emergency motion regarding India, Maldives agreement thrown out

 Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Nasheed has rejected an emergency issue proposed by MP for Naifaru and senior opposition figure Ahmed Shiyam regarding the disclosure of details in agreements made between Maldives and India. 

Speaker Nasheed announced that the issue would not be accepted without a vote, which is the usual procedure for such issues. 

Nasheed said that relationships between the Maldives and other nations were under the mandate of the President and that any agreement that inflicts hardship to the Maldives would be carried on with the approval of the parliament.

“I have no doubts that the parliament would be aware of any such agreements conducted by the President or the government.” Said Nasheed. 

Details of the agreement could also be sourced through the Parliament’s Committee on National Security Services.

“I don’t think that this is an issue that the parliament can accept.” Said Nasheed. 

MP Shiyam then expressed discontent due to the rejection of the issue which he described as a step taken back by democracy. 

“I suggest that the parliament should be locked up as long as this government remains in power.” Said Shiyam.

Further speaking, Shiyam said that there was skepticism in the public regarding unknown agreements made between the Maldives and India which could in turn damage ties. He called on the government to disclose details of the agreement between Maldives and India for that reason. 

MP for Kaashidhoo also questioned why Speaker Nasheed decided against asking for a vote on the issue and requested details of parliament regulations that allowed Nasheed to do so, to which Nasheed responded by saying that “they are all the articles of the regulations”.

“If I begin to read the articles, all articles. Every article permits me to do so. First of all, it needs to be an emergency, how can it be an emergency when it began during their administration?” asked Nasheed. 

He said that it was no secret that Maldivians “wished to have close relations with India”. Nasheed added that efforts and campaigns by extremists in the Maldives were to disrupt efforts to bridge such close relations. 

These extremists wished to sideline the Maldives from the international community and Nasheed expressed remorse that some political parties were also taking part in this. 

The issue regarding the disclosure of agreements with India which was thrown out today comes after the Defense Ministry said yesterday that revealing the exact number of Indian military personnel in the Maldives could disrupt ties between the nation.