Supreme Court has “no authority to dismiss ministers”, claims Reeko Moosa

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) parliamentary group leader and MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik has claimed that the Supreme Court has no authority to dismiss ministers from their positions.

“MPs have the power to dismiss Supreme Court judges, and the Supreme Court will understand that the panel consists of judges we appointed,” Moosa said. ”Parliament does not know how to remove ministers from their position,” he claimed.

The matter saw parliament proceedings derailed for three weeks on points of order. Eventually the MDP boycotted the endorsement process during the vote last Monday, and seven ministers were ‘disapproved’.

The government meanwhile contends that the only way to remove a minister from their position is through a no-confidence motion.

However, the opposition believes that the procedure of cabinet appointments remains incomplete without the consent of parliament, and that ministers should not remain in office after the parliament disapproves them.

After disputes last week, the opposition filed the case in the Supreme Court.

Referring to the opposition’s refusal on Finance minister presenting the budget, Moosa said that if the opposition MPs obstructed Finance Minister Ali Hashim from entering the parliament ”he will enter the parliament with the citizens of the nation.”

Moosa also alleged that DRP MPs planned “to attack” Hashim if he entered the parliament to present the budget.

”If DRP committed any such actions, no ministers will remain silent. I – Moosa Manik – and MDP activists will go to their houses.”

However, DRP MP Dr Abdulla Mausoom said that Hashim was a ‘former’ minister and former ministers cannot present the state’s budget in parliament.

”A person becomes a minister only after the person successfully passes the three procedures: presidential appointment, parliamentary consent and taking the oath,” Mausoom said. ”[Moosa] Hecannot say that the courts have no authority – courts have full authority to make the best decision to resolve every issue.”

Mausoom said Moosa’s remarks reveals how much the government disregards the constitution and laws.

”This issue should have long been resolved if some people did not have these issues of stubbornness,” he said.

He also said that parliament speaks the citizen’s words and ”participation of citizens is required in sincere good governance.”

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13 thoughts on “Supreme Court has “no authority to dismiss ministers”, claims Reeko Moosa”

  1. @Reeko

    ("Supreme Court has “no authority to dismiss ministers”, claims Reeko Moosa)

    Ministers?

    How did they BECOME ministers without Majlis consent, in the first place?

    Only Superman wears trousers first, and underwear last.

    And that would look sinister, I guess?

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  2. Dr. Mausoom is also a former minister and he has no right to sit in the parliament. I'm surprised MDP has allowed him to sit there.

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  3. Moosa Manik, "beyhaai nukulheythi badi, neygi huttaa fihidhaane makoya."

    Dont mess with the SUPREME COURT.

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  4. A judge from the Supreme Court was present and read out the oath to Ali Hashim when he was sworn in as a Minister.

    Now, can the Supreme Court go back on them and say "no, the oath doesn't hold since some crooks in the Parliament said no?"

    I doubt.

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  5. This is probably one of Reeko Moosa's less intelligent statements as a Member of Parliament.

    Parliament Rejected ministers that were put forward to approval and therefore, they are no longer ministers.

    And no one is going to attack anyone. But as Ali Hashim is no longer a Minister, the Speaker has every right to bar him from entering the Premises.

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  6. A nation would soon become a failed nation if its citizen starts to compromise on the very ideals that they've believing on. What we see in the Maldives is nothing different. MDP wants to enforce every whim of them without giving any consideration to the constitution and laws of Maldives. Its grass root supporters, which is the main pillar of MDP, is hoodwinked by its members such as Reeko, Maria...

    The reality is that these hard core members (Reeko, Maria) have already exploited enough wealth of this nation and the blame would again be framed cleverly by the deceitful MDP leaders on the so-called "30 years".

    The undeniable fact is Maldives have retrogressed within this 2 years of Nasheed's presidency and one who could carefully work out in numbers would realized this. People lives are getting harder day by day, the ordinary citizens are facing unnecessary burdens to educate their children and even to feed their families, which had never witnessed relatively over the past 30 years. World has even encountered several difficult and hard times even in that 30 years. On the other hand, despite Maumoon's era is an autocratic system, it proves that it had flourished better lives for the majority of hard working Maldivians. Hundreds, if not thousands, have graduated from prestigious universities around the world and even some are in high end positions of top organisations around the world.

    On the other hand, The fact that Maldives would be one of the two countries that would be graduated from the UN's Least Developed Countries (LCD) is a clear indication that previous administration was sincere to the nations development. Needless to say, there are flaws and blunders even in that administration too and surely far less than the current administration.

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  7. The fact of the matter is, the constitution is not so clear as DRP likes to put it.

    Somebody showed what MP Nasheed wrote on his blog about this issue and as an ardent supporter of the "dismissed ministers" argument - all he wrote about was how the US government operates. About laws that are obvious and thus not written down. He even states that in US Ministers are sworn in after their consent but in Maldives Minister are sworn in first.

    Now can our Supreme Court take a decision to dismiss Ministers after they themselves recited the oath of them becoming ministers? This will be an interesting decision.

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  8. mahuveii..mee keyyeh?!

    who the F does this dude think he is?? he appears no less authoritarian than gayyoom, whom him & his brother tried to overthrow by the way.

    Democracy is under siege here. We have a rogue cabinet, a shadow government running the State without parliamentary oversight, accountability or transparency.

    Its discretion's of the constitution represent a draconian return to old regimes of thought, for whatever reasons. The fact that the opposition devils union or DRP (as we all seem to perceive;MDP is no different) controls the parliament cannot have a bearing on the mechanisms of Democracy vis-a-vi the State.

    The cabinet requires parliamentary approval, verikan libuneema democracy is being undermined.

    DOes this guy, reeko, listen to himself when he condemns the healthy opposition audible in many radio/tv stations?

    His attempts to stifle the oppostion voices in the media, in particular, is reminiscent of Stockholm Syndrome.

    He represents an extremist element that needs to be weeded out.

    As for Anni, the desire to bring 'tharaggi' to people "faster" cannot be an excuse to undermine the rule of law, the constitution. What example is he setting for society?

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  9. People like Reeko Moosa is the real problem for MDP and for the government.

    He thinks he knows it all when actually he knows nothing.

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  10. @Andy

    "The undeniable fact is Maldives have retrogressed within this 2 years of Nasheed’s presidency"

    Andy ehh kamaku thiyaaa bunee hama rangalhu vaahaka ehh!

    The only word from the English lexicon that would fully describe the 'haalathu' of Maldives.

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  11. glad to see that the commentators and comments on this article are sane in nature for a change, Im with salim, element and andy on this matter, reeko should be tarred and feathred and made to walk the streets of male, tell him its a movie we are shootin and its his costume, im sure hell be up for it, atleast we can have a laugh.

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