Nasheed asks budget presentation for next parliament sitting

Speaker Mohamed Nasheed on Sunday asked the secretary general of the parliament, Fathimath Niusha, to table for the next sitting the budget proposal sent by the government for next year.

In a constitutional petition filed by the MDP on the deadlock on the no-confidence motion against speaker Mohamed Nasheed, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the motion could proceed even in the absence of deputy speaker Eva Abdulla.

The ruling, however, declared the parliamentary counsel general and secretary general's interpretation of the rules of procedure that only the deputy speaker could chair the sitting where the no-confidence motion against the speaker is tabled as unconstitutional.

Finance minister Ibrahim Ameer boycotted the parliament sitting on October 31 which was set to be held to present the state budget for 2024, over the parliament's decision to delay the no-confidence motion against speaker Mohamed Nasheed.

Ameer decided not to attend the sitting to present the supplementary budget and estimated budget for next year after receiving legal advice from the Attorney General that no other business of parliament could proceed without tabling the no-confidence motion against Nasheed.

However, the Supreme Court in its ruling on Thursday that the parliament can proceed with other works even if the no-confidence motion against the speaker is pending.

Referring to the Supreme Court judgement, Nasheed told the secretary general that:

"Therefore, the finance minister has already delayed the presentation of the budget to the date required by the constitution and the law, and it cannot be further delayed as per the Supreme Court judgment," he said.

Parliament, chaired by speaker Mohamed Nasheed's Democrats MP Hassan Afeef, on Sunday ruled that MDP filed the no-confidence motion against Nasheed in violation of the parliament's rules of procedure and asked the party to resubmit the motion. 

As the sitting began, chaired by Vilufushi MP Afeef, who represents the Democrats to which Nasheed belongs, Democrats MPs began to raise points of order, with the intent to prevent the motion from being moved. They cited the reason that the resolution was not in accordance with the rules of procedure.

Democrats parliamentary group leader, Central Henveiru MP Ali Azim said the motion was submitted without the details it should have. Therefore, the motion cannot be submitted to parliament and the opportunity will not be given, he repeatedly said.

Meanwhile, the privileges and ethics committee of parliament on Sunday ruled that deputy speaker Eva Abdulla and Vilufushi MP Hassan Afeef have violated their privileges. The committee also ruled that no Democrats, including Eva and Afeef, will be able to preside over the sitting where the no-confidence against speaker Mohamed Nasheed has been tabled.