Members allocated for Standing Committees in contravention to agreement: Riyaz

Chairs in the Standing Committees in the People’s Majlis have been allocated among members of the Majlis in contravention to the agreement among parliamentary group leaders, says MP Riyaz Rasheed, the PG leader for Qaumee Party. Speaking to the press in a meeting at DhiTV office today, Riyaz said that names of members for the Committees were nominated for election against what had been previously agreed among PG leaders from various parties.

MP Ahmed Siyam Mohamed was to be nominated for the chair allocated for independents in the Committee on Economic Affairs as as per the agreement, said Riyaz, though the name nominated at last night’s meeting to elect members for the committees was that of MP Ismail Abdul Hameed. Riyaz said that this decision in violation of the agreement was a move to further the agendas of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

“We had agreed to include MP Siyam in that Committee. However, in the meeting they did not act upon the agreement, and nominated another name. This was done as MDP wanted, as we later came to know,” said Riyaz.

However, al-Ustaad Ahmed Mohamed, the Secretary General of the People’s Majlis said today that the name of MP Ismail Abdul Hameed was nominated for the Committee on Economic Affairs exactly as agreed by the PG leaders. He also denied any claims that the Secretariat had modified any propositions by the PG leaders. “We nominated all names just as in the list forwarded after the agreement of PG leaders yesterday, and we did not bring any changes to it,” he said.

MP Ibrahim Mohamed Salih said that only MP Ahmed Siyam Mohamed and MP Ismail Abdul Hameed from among the independent members had expressed interest in sitting at the Committee, and that while 5 seats had been allocated for MDP and Divehi Rayyithunge Party each, they tried to contact both Siyam and Ismail before finalizing on whose name to be nominated. He said that they could not contact Siyam, and that Ismail’s name was hence agreed upon by the PG Leaders.

Meanwhile, MP Ismail Abdul Hameed said that he had sat in the Committee on Economic Affairs before also, and that if MP Siyam wanted to sit in the Committee, he was willing to bring back his name. he said that as soon as MP Siyam returned from abroad, he would discuss with him and the Speaker and make a decision on the issue.