PNC can't 'bully' with parliamentary 'army', MDP says
Meekail also described Monday's floor as a 'PNC party camp’.
By
Mohamed Muzayyin Nazim
The opposition Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) Parliamentary Group, a minority with 12 MPs, said on Monday that even if the People’s National Congress (PNC) has a 'big army' in Parliament it cannot bully or harass others.
MDP members made the remarks at a press conference held by the parliamentary group at the parliamentary office on Monday after calling a stop to the session following their discontent with the Housing Minister Ali Haider’s answers in Parliament. The MDP also expressed its dissatisfaction with Haider's answers at the press conference.
Haider did not answer some questions in Monday's session, and the MDP members heated the session up. After the names of four members were announced, the Speaker adjourned the session after shortening the questioning of the minister.
The first name announced was MDP PGs Deputy Leader and Vaikaradhoo Constituency Member Hussain Ziyadh. Thus:
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He asked the minister why the government was not reviewing the Binnveriyaa lists when it was reviewing the Gedhoruveriya lists and questioned why it was not being reviewed; whether it was because the government did not believe that the plots were allotted properly
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The minister did not answer that question
At the MDP press conference, Hussain Ziyadh said the minister did not answer the question and he first tried to ask for an additional opportunity within the rules. However, the Speaker of Parliament denied him and he had raised his concern again, he said. He was still denied.
"He did it because he thought he would bully me since I'm small. The minister sees that there is a big army behind him and he sees me as a small person. We cannot be bullied even if we are small," he said.
MDP PG Leader Ibrahim Nazil was also among the four members whose names were announced. He said he had repeatedly expressed his concern that the minister had not answered a question asked by the members. He said he did not believe the MDP members had done anything worthy of being named by the Speaker.
“The way the Speaker acted, it is very clear that the rights of the people will not be guaranteed with the power of the PNC members and the super majority in this parliament,” he said.
Galolhu South MP Meekail Naseem said the most basic responsibility of parliament is to hold the government accountable and the easiest way to do that is to present the minister in the parliament and question him. However, on Monday he saw that opportunity being narrowed, he said. Meekail also described Monday's floor as a 'PNC party camp’.
"A precedent has been established. Without answering [members'] questions, ministers can do whatever they want [and] the Parliament has been turned into a political party camp," he said.
"It is a sign that Maldives' parliamentary life is heading in a very dangerous direction”.
Galolhu North MP Mohamed Ibrahim, who moved to question the Housing Minister, described the delay in allocating flats and land as dictatorial.
"I feel that it [the government] just doesn't see the plight of people. It's such an important issue that they are just stretching out like a rubber band. I don't understand why it's doing it. That's something I need an answer to,” Mohamed Ibrahim said.
