MDP reprimands Ali Azim for violating whip in GST hike vote
Azim tweeted that action has been taken against him for not voting to raise taxes on people.
MDP has advised Central Henveiru MP Ali Azim as action taken for his vote against the hike in GST and TGST which violates the three-line whip passed by the party's parliamentary group.
The parliament had on November 16 approved the government's proposal to increase TGST to 16% and GST to 8%. Azim, former leader of MDP’s parliamentary group, was among the 26 members who voted against the bill, which was passed to raise taxes from January 1.
To Azim, who is also one of the members supporting Speaker Mohamed Nasheed, MDP’s parliamentary group leader Mohamed Aslam wrote in a letter dated November 16:
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Under Article 39(a)of the MDP Parliamentary Group Rules, if a three-line whip is issued, it is mandatory to appear in parliament and vote according to the decision
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It is a violation not to appear before parliament to implement the three-line whip without seeking prior permission in the face of a serious situation that the leadership can accept and not participate in the voting
"You are advised not to violate the whipline and vote in accordance with the whipline issued by the Parliamentary Group in accordance with the provisions of Section 41A of the Parliamentary Rules," the letter said.
Azim tweeted that action has been taken against him for not voting to raise taxes on people. He criticised the Parliamentary Group for sending the letter two months after the date of preparation of the letter, saying that he had received the letter at a hermit crab’s speed.
Azim, who was part of Nasheed's faction, has been critical of the government in recent times. In the recently concluded MDP presidential primaries, he supported Nasheed and criticised President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
