Two ministers attend committee

Acting Transport Minister Mohamed Nazim and Education Minister Dr Asim have attended the Parliament Committee on Oversight of the Government. Their attendance comes at a time when the government had decided that senior government officials and personnel of security forces will not attend summons from the committee.

The committee passed a decision yesterday to issue a committee order if the two officials fail to attend the committee.

The officials attended the committee today for inquiries in relation to citizens’ concerns regarding the ongoing protests in N. Maafaru. Both officials answered the committee members’ questions on this matter.

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik had decided that summons by the committee should not be attended, after the committee made public the information shared with the committee for their investigation of the report of the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI). However, member of the Parliamentary Group of PPM, which is part of the government coalition, Ahmed Shareef said that the government should answer the committee’s inquiries related to citizens’ fundamental rights. Shareef, along with MDP members, voted in favour of issuing a parliament order if the officials fail to attend the committee.