Parliament cancels sitting on fake forms questioning
A vote of no confidence against Ihsan was failed in the Parliament, which currently has a government majority.
Top Stories
-
Govt designates more locations in Malé for public assemblies
-
Police warn against unauthorised rallies amid protests in Malé
-
Parliament sends no-confidence motion notice to Ameen
-
Maldives ranked among most difficult countries for journalism
-
Nasheed calls for release of protesters; highlights role of youth
Parliament cancelled its sitting on Monday, which had been scheduled to include a session for questioning Home Minister Ali Ihsan over allegations related to falsified political party membership forms.
The questioning had been proposed by Meekail Ahmed Naseem, a Member of Parliament from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), who submitted two formal questions to the minister on 15 January. Parliament sessions are typically held on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.
The questions submitted by MP Naseem were in relation to the alleged misuse of data from the Department of National Registration (DNR) to enrol individuals into the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) without their consent. The questions were as follows:
-
1-
What measures are being taken by the Home Ministry to safeguard personal data, following revelations that DNR information was used to falsify PNC membership applications?
-
2-
Have any actions been taken against Home Ministry officials who signed these forms as witnesses?
In a post shared on platform X, MP Naseem stated that the questions had been placed on the agenda for Monday's session after the required 14-day notice period to summon a minister had passed. He further noted that after confirmation of the agenda, he was subsequently informed that the sitting had been cancelled. No official reason was provided for the cancellation.
The allegations surrounding the falsified forms included claims that the signature of a Deputy Minister at the Home Ministry overseeing the DNR had appeared on some of the disputed documents. The deputy minister has denied signing any such forms, claiming the signatures circulating on social media were fabricated.
The MDP has also submitted a no-confidence motion against Ihsan in relation to the matter. During an earlier sitting, the minister appeared before Parliament to respond to questions from members regarding the issue. A vote of no confidence against Ihsan was failed in the Parliament, which currently has a government majority.
Meanwhile, the PNC is continuing its membership drive with a target of reaching 75,000 registered members. A significant number of forms have been submitted to and processed by the Elections Commission, including some from members of the MDP's National Assembly and MDP MP for the Vikaradhoo Constituency, Hussain Ziyad.
