Yameen: Govt. seeking to seize Parliament by raising salaries of all MPs

Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom alleged on Sunday night that the government is seeking to bring Parliament under its control by increasing the salaries of parliamentary officials, including the Speaker.

Last Wednesday, Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee approved a proposal to raise the Speaker’s salary to MVR 95,000, increase ministers’ car allowances and raise the salaries of island council members.

Speaking at a PNF gathering tonight, Yameen described the proposed salary increase for Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla as merely "the tip of the iceberg."

Yameen said that if Abdul Raheem’s salary is increased, Deputy Speaker and Eydhafushi constituency MP Ahmed Saleem, also known as Redwave Saleem, would undoubtedly receive a salary increment as well.

"What is being initiated now, and the objective behind this pressure, is to increase the salaries of all Parliament members. At this moment, there is nothing that the citizens of this country would resent more than this," Yameen said.

The former President described Parliament as crucial to President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s political survival, asserting that the President "cannot survive" without it. He alleged that the proposed salary increases for the Speaker and MPs were intended as a form of "insurance", driven by concerns that the President could not remain in office without Parliament’s support.

The Speaker currently receives a monthly salary of MVR 73,125, while the Deputy Speaker earns MVR 91,000 and ordinary Members of Parliament receive MVR 82,500.

During the Public Accounts Committee meeting, it was explained that the difference in salaries stems from the Speaker’s non-participation in committee meetings. MPs receive committee allowances based on their attendance, amounting to MVR 10,000 for attending between 50 and 75 percent of meetings and MVR 20,000 for attendance exceeding 75 percent.

The proposal submitted to the committee seeks to grant the Speaker an additional allowance of MVR 22,000, bringing his total monthly remuneration to MVR 95,125.

With Parliament’s membership now standing at 93, a number that increases with population growth as stipulated by the Constitution, public criticism continues over MPs’ salaries and benefits in relation to their perceived productivity.