Speaker won't stand for top court meddling in legislature

Speaker of the Parliament Mohammed Aslam has said that the Supreme Court cannot deliver instructions on how to run the Parliament in a particular manner.

Aslam was referring to the Supreme Court's interim order on Parliament to stay the implementation of the recent amendments on the impeachment of the President and Vice-President.

Opening Sunday’s session, Aslam had issued the Parliament for a debate on the interim order of the Supreme Court, after reading out the court’s stay order.

When the debate was opened, Henveiru South MP Hussain Shaheem asked whether the debate was open to determine the number of members of Parliament.

In response to the question, Aslam said lawmakers would decide how to run the parliament, as it is clearly stipulated in the constitution.

“I do not believe that any other institution, any other office has the power to determine how the Parliament will be run and it will be determined by the members of Parliament,” Aslam said.

Attorney General Ahmed Usham filed a constitutional case in the Supreme Court on 28th last month seeking to quash all three amendments to the Parliament Rules on 18th December. The Supreme Court issued an interim order to stay the implementation of the amendments until a decision is taken on the matter.

The reason cited by the apex court for passing an interim order is that when even a rule of parliament could possibly violate the constitution, if an interim order is not passed before passing a final judgment in the case, there is a possibility of a breach of communication on the facts contained in the matter.