Monday
29th Apr 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Parliament speaker Nasheed.
Parliament Speaker former President Mohamed Nasheed has refused to grant opportunity to MPs to question Home Minister Sheikh Imran Abdullah for his comments on late Dr. Afrasheem Ali.
Dr. Afrasheem Ali was a Member of Parliament representing Ungoofaaru Constituency. He was brutally murdered on October 2, 2012. An accomplished scholar, he was found dead by his wife outside of their residence. He was stabbed four times in the back of his head and with wounds to his chest and neck.
In Monday’s Parliament session, Minister Imran was summoned. Mahibadhoo Constituency MP Ahmed Thoriq had questioned the Minister on the Government’s stance on implementing capital punishment. In the follow up, MP Thoriq had asked the Minister to clarify his very public statements on the May Day rally in 2015.
“Minister just talked about stays on capital punishment. My question is on Supreme Court upholding capital punishment on Dr Afrasheem’s murder. My question is on your statements, as leader of Adhaalath Party, that you had evidence, made on May 1, 2015. Those evidence,” MP Thoriq was cut short at this point.
Speaker Nasheed had interrupted as this point, citing that the follow up question had no correlation to the topic at hand. He had refused to give an opportunity to MP Thoriq to talk further.
This censure was only applicable to MP Thoriq, as Nasheed had granted access to other MPs. Another MP had questioned the Minister on police stations in the atolls – a question that was allowed by the Speaker.
MP Thoriq raised his objection, citing that Ministers can be questioned so long as the line of questioning related to the main issue of why the Minister was summoned. In his objection, the MP referred to the question on police stations, asking how this was relevant to the issue at hand.