Parliament to quiz minister over Indian navy boarding local fishing boats
Ghassan will appear to answer these questions after the 14-day notice is sent to the minister through the Speaker of Parliament.
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By
Mohamed Muzayyin Nazim
Opposition has sought to summon and question Defense Minister Ghassan Maumoon over the repeated and unwarranted incidents of Indian Coast Guard boarding Maldivian fishing boats inside its economic zone.
Opposition Democrats President, Henveiru West Constituency Member Hassan Latheef submitted a motion saying that the people of Maldives are extremely concerned and terrorized by the incidents.
Under article 76 of parliamentary rules of procedure, Hassan Latheef is seeking to quiz Ghassan over three main questions. They are:
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Has the government now confirmed whether this happened inside or outside Maldivian territory?
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Can you explain to the parliament, the details of what exactly happened?
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What changes could be made to government policies to prevent such a thing from happening again?
Ghassan will appear to answer these questions after the 14-day notice is sent to the minister through the Speaker of Parliament.
According to a statement issued by the Defense Ministry on Friday, the boats were boarded by Indian Coast Guard troops on Wednesday while the fishermen were fishing within Maldivian economic zone. The statement said the stop-and-search was carried out without the knowledge of the government and in violation of international maritime law.
The Foreign Ministry on Thursday formally asked the Indian government to explain the reason behind the move. However, the Indian government is yet to offer a formal explanation over the incident.
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