Members at Majlis sitting held yesterday expressed support for the Bill proposed by Dhaalu atoll member ADK Ahmed Nashid on providing equal immunities to all election candidates.
At yesterday’s sitting 10 members spoke on the Bill. Although members supporting the government expressed support for the Bill they declined to accept the Bill to the Majlis.
Addu MP Ibrahim Shareef commenting on the Bill said that the Bill was not based on principles of equality. He said the Bill was designed to discredit the police force and make them powerless. He accused members of trying to get the Majlis accept a senseless Bill. In response to Shareef’s comments opposition members took series of points of orders to demonstrate their protests.
President’s member Dr. Fathin Hameed said that Bill was targeted at Police and Maldives Defense Force personnel and not worth the attention of the Majlis.
MP for Meemu atoll Aneesa Ahmed said that although she supported the Bill in principle, such a Bill will not be feasible in the country.
MP for Thaa atoll said if all election candidates were to be given equal opportunity then President Gayoom will have to resign and join other candidates at the start line of the presidential race. He said it was totally unacceptable to campaign using state resources and the practice must be stopped.
Male’ MP Ibrahim Ismail (Ibra) supported the Bill. He said based on his personal experience gained during his recent visits to the atolls such a bill was extremely important.
At the beginning of the sitting Transport Minister Mohamed Saeed was asked parliamentary questions by Thaa atoll MP Mohamed Shareef. The Minister provided answers to his questions and answered 10 other supplementary questions posed by different members. After the question time Majlis passed minutes of 3 previous sittings.
Majlis lost its quorum just before noon. Yesterday’s sitting was attended by 37 members and was chaired by Vice Speaker Ahmed Thasmeen Ali. People’s Majlis is scheduled to meet again today at 0900 at the Majlis House.
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