Protests to be held against excessive financial allowances taken by Members of Parliament

Following the decision of the People’s Majlis Standing Committee on Financial Matters to give out a lump sum of MRF 140,000 to each MP as back pay for committee allowance from the month of January to July this year, NGOs have decided to organize a “huge protest” against the decision. The protest would be held in order to express the people’s frustration and disapproval over excessive financial allowance taken by the Members of the Majlis.

A gathering was held today, near the Tsunami Memorial Monument area, in which Ahmed Adeeb, Treasurer of the Traders’ Association said in a speech that the gathering was held to start a campaign calling for “a huge protest on Monday near the People’s Majlis building”. He also said that the people would express their feelings and concerns at the protest on Monday.

The gathering held today evening was participated by a huge crowd, who distributed pamphlets and posters, which bore slogans and writings criticizing Majlis Members in general, and their decision to take an MRF 20,000 worth monthly allowance for their work for Majlis standing committees in addition to more than MRF62,000 as salary, which is six times more than the salary of a civil servant of Director rank.

Many who gathered near the Tsunami Memorial Monument said that while the Majlis Members took from the people’s money a shockingly huge amount of money as salary and allowances, the Majlis had utterly failed to do its job. Many also said that the sky-high salary of MRF62,500 was more than enough for a few sessions of the Majlis held each month plus whatever work is done in the standing committees, and that there is absolutely no need to take MRF 20,000 each month for committee work.

“They get MRF 62,500 for just “heating the chair” and bickering with each other on the Majlis floor, and as if that amount is not enough, we are forced, by their own decision, as nobody has the legal authority to supervise their decisions on their own salaries, to pay them yet another 20,000 for standing committee work. How can we accept it?”, one of the people in the gathering said.

The Majlis made a decision to pay each MP MRF 20,000 over and above their monthly salaries for committee work last year. However, the decision was kept on hold till last Wednesday, when the Standing Committee on Financial Matters made a decision to implement the decision, and give committee allowances to all MPs from January this year to July this year as back pay, and continue payment of committee allowances from August.

A few MPs have now stated publicly that they would not take the allowances.