Aslam: Will not allow for work on budget to proceed

Ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s Parliamentary Group Leader, North Hithadhoo MP Mohamed Aslam says the party will not allow for the parliamentary work on budget slated for Tuesday’s sitting to proceed without moving forward with a no-confidence motion submitted against Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed.

The agenda, tabling the budget for Tuesday’s sitting, was publicized today at a time MDP has filed a Supreme Court case asking the court to establish that the Parliament cannot hold any other sittings until work on the no-confidence motion is complete.

Supreme Court had accepted the case earlier today.

When asked by Sun whether MDP MPs will cooperate with carrying out the parliamentary works as per the agenda, he said they will not cooperate.

“There will be no cooperation from MDP’s Parliamentary Group on this matter, that is our stand,” he said.

Aslam said MDP had to resort to the Supreme Court over this because no solution has been achieved within the parliament.

“We believe it is important to seek the opinion of a third party in finding a solution to this, that is why we submitted the court case,” he said.

Aslam stressed that the opportunity should be given to abuse the parliamentary regulations as one desires, adding there must be a solution for this.

Nasheed’s no-confidence motion had been tabled on the agenda for the 15^th sitting of the third session of the parliament, which had failed to pan out both today and yesterday, as a result of Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla, Nasheed’s cousin and fellow Democrats member, calling in sick.

Parliament’s Secretary General Fathimath Niusha decided the sitting could not be held without Eva there to chair it, on both days.

MDP MPs, who submitted the motion, protested at the parliament floor subsequently.