Nasheed in first speech on parliament floor urges to sue Ameer
Nasheed said the Finance Act clearly states the dates for submitting the budget to Parliament, but the MDP is turning it around for political purposes.
Mohamed Nasheed, who resigned from the post of speaker of parliament on Monday, accused finance minister Ibrahim Ameer of failing to attend the parliament to present the budget, calling it a crime and urged the court to file a case against him.
The agenda of Tuesday's session includes the supplementary budget of MVR 6.5 billion for additional expenditure this year and the state budget of MVR 49.5 billion for next year.
When Mohamed Aslam, MP from Hithadhoo North constituency, who was elected speaker on Monday evening, gave the Finance Minister the opportunity to present the budgets, the Democrats led by Nasheed began raising systemic issues.
Nasheed also raised one of the systemic issues by The Democrats, accusing Ameer of deliberately not presenting the budget.
Speaking in the parliament for the first time as a Member of Parliament for Mahchangolhi Central Constituency, Nasheed said Ameer stood “on charges of crime”.
Nasheed said the Finance Act clearly states the dates for submitting the budget to Parliament, but the MDP is turning it around for political purposes.
“The system of the Maldivian state, Honorable President, should not be taken away,” he said.
"Sending the finance minister to trial is the most important thing we have to do at the moment. This is a point of order. This is the most important point of order in this parliament. The powers of this parliament cannot be diluted”.
According to the Finance Act and the Rules of Procedure of Parliament, the Finance Minister must submit the estimated budget for next year to Parliament before November 1 of each year.
Before Nasheed resigned on Monday afternoon, the budget session held on Monday morning could not be conducted. They include:
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Ameer informed that he cannot attend the session to present the budget due to his health condition
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Earlier, the budget was scheduled to be presented in a session, but the Attorney General advised that no further work could be done as the no-confidence motion against the then Speaker Nasheed had been avoided
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However, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that there was no obstacle to the other work of the parliament regardless of a decision on the no-confidence case.
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