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Speaker Nasheed and MDP PG leader Aslam. Photo/Dhauru

Still trying to work with Nasheed: PG leader

Aslam, who is now in President Solih's faction, said he wanted to put aside the existing divisions and differences and work together.

16 November 2022

By Mohamed Muzayyin Nazim

MDP’s Parliamentary Group leader and Hithadhoo North MP Mohamed Aslam said on Tuesday that he was still trying to work with speaker Mohamed Nasheed without removing him from his post for what he called as illegally running the parliament.

The government wants parliament to pass a bill to increase GST and TGST from next year. However, the parliament was adjourned on both Monday and Tuesday without voting on the bill, which has been completed by a parliamentary committee of the whole house.

Members supporting the government held an emergency meeting with President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at Muleeage presidential residence Tuesday afternoon.

Coming out of the meeting and speaking to the Atoll Times journalists at the area, Aslam said the members were proposing Nasheed's removal and told the president the same in the meeting. However, neither President Solih nor himself as PG leader have any intention of doing so at this stage, Aslam said.

"We are trying to do politics with Nasheed by giving him the position, respect, status and anything else he deserves as he is a former president and the interim president of MDP," said Aslam, who has worked closely with Nasheed in the past.

Aslam, who is now in President Solih's faction, said he wanted to put aside the existing divisions and differences and work together. He added that he was doing everything possible to ensure the smooth functioning of the parliamentary group.

The government has proposed a tax hike from January 2023:

  • GST to be hiked from 6% to 8%    

  • TGST to be hiked from 12% to 16%

The opposition party had gathered outside the Parliament house on Monday and Tuesday to protest against the tax hike.

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