Saturday
20th Apr 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Speaker of the parliament.
Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed has shut down all discussion over the state of the country’s independence, claiming that was ‘not even in the horizon’.
Nasheed was quick to shut down this discussion on Parliament floor. The comment came as response to Naifaru Constituency MP Ahmed Shiyam’s speech on the secretive agreements made between Maldives and India.
Shiyam said that due to these agreements, independence and sovereignty of the country was in question.
In response, Nasheed said that he would not give the opportunity for anyone to debate on the matter especially on the Parliament floor. He said the country’s independence and sovereignty was not in question, adding that the question was “not even in the horizon”.
“Esteemed Member, I cannot give this opportunity. Not an iota of our independence has been lost. The issue is not even on the horizon. I cannot give you the opportunity to announce in Parliament that we have lost our independence,” he said.
Referring to the amendment that greenlit foreigners owning land in the country, Nasheed said this amendment was repealed. He argued that prior to repealing the amendment, there was a significant possibility that over time, large swathes of land could have been lost.
“But now I do not see such an opportunity,” Nasheed said.
Nasheed referred to the Constitutional amendment that allowed foreigners to purchase land, under set conditions. The amendment was passed with 10 MPs from Nasheed’s very own Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) voting in favor. This amendment was passed during the tenure of former President Abdullah Yameen.
The amendment was repealed under this administration. Ex-Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) member Abdullah Rifau filed to strike the amendment.
Maavashu Constituency MP Mohamed Saeed voiced his displeasure when Nasheed sought to censure MP Shiyam. Saeed said that the Speaker cannot bar an MP from talking on the Parliament floor, so long as the MP did not violate a tenet of Islam.
In his objection, Saeed also condemned Speaker Nasheed for his comments on High Court rulings. Nasheed had expressed his displeasure towards the High Court for nullifying Criminal Court warrant to remove the "India Out" banner on the residence of President Yameen.
In response, Nasheed had reiterated his stance, stubbornly refusing to grant Shiyam room to speak on the matter.