MDP should leave behind its uncivilised ideas, and cooperate with Parliament: Yameen

Parliamentary Group Leader of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and Mulaku MP Abdullah Yameen has said that Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) should realise that the Parliament is an essential institution of the State, thus leave behind its uncivilised ideas and cooperate to make the Parliament a productive place which works for citizens.

Yameen made this statement on DhiTV last night.

He urged citizens to encourage the Member of Parliament representing their constituency, to make the Parliament productive.

“The Parliament is made up of members elected by citizens of various regions. Those citizens and party members should encourage effective sittings of the Parliament. Otherwise, the shame is on all of us. So MDP has to lead this process. Leaders and members of MDP need to work for this,” he said.

He stressed that decisions at the Parliament need to be made by taking votes, and said that disrupting Parliament sittings and Parliament Committee meetings is not the solution to any problem.

“I’m not saying that the Parliament was unproductive in the last session. But we could not complete even 10 percent of what needs to be done. All they do is insult one another. The Parliament has to reconvene, even if it means the Parliament rules have to be revised,” Yameen said.

Speaker of Parliament Abdullah Shahid halted the Parliament on 31 July, citing the lack of an orderly environment to hold Parliament meetings.

Since then, the only Parliament sitting held was the one on 6 September, to declare basis of claim to general regulations on laws.

The Parliament Office has said that the Parliament will reconvene on 1 October.