Parliament was cancelled today because only 18 MPs were present inside the parliament chamber.
MDP MPs had sent a letter to the speaker of the parliament asking him to ensure them that the chamber “was safe for MDP MPs”, after a brawl broke out yesterday between the two major parties.
According to the parliament’s regulations at least 20 MPs must be present inside the chamber to hold a meeting.
MDP MP Rugiyya Mohamed said 89 per cent of MDP MPs attended the parliament ”but did not enter inside the chamber due to what happened yesterday.”
Ruhiyya said that the MDP parliamentry group had sent a letter to the speaker of the parliament to ensure that the chamber would be safe for the MDP MPs, but had not responded.
”I believe that Abdulla Shahid is influenced by Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP),” she claimed. ”He cannot even control the parliament.”
DRP Vice president Umar Naseer said MDP MPs were attempting to prevent a vote regarding the corruption allegations against the Auditor General Ibrahim Naeem, as they “are afraid of democracy.”
”Shahid must stand on our side,” Naseer said. ” He was elected to the parliament by our ticket with the vote of our members.”
DRP MP Abdulla Mausoom said he had no idea why the MDP MPs refused to enter the chamber.
”It was a waste of one day for me.” he said. ”I went to parliament with the hope of discussing a national issue.”
He said that it was fine “even if two [MPs] came.”
MDP MP Mohamed Shifaz said the MDP MPs “are not sure that the chamber is safe for them any more.”
Spokesperson for the President Mohamed Zuhair said it was up to the speaker to hold consultations with party leaders and get the MPs back into the chamber.
“The government believes politicans should only defeat their opponents through speech,” he noted.
During a meeting yesterday, DRP MP Ali Waheed said if the vote was not taken tomorrow, the party “will make sure no more votes are taken in this country.”
“It will be the biggest political mistake President Mohamed Nasheed makes,” he warned.
In response, Zuhair accused DRP MP Ali Waheed of pretending to injure himself in video footage of yesterday’s brawl.
“He was at the back of the chamber and clearly takes a dive. But then he is a former footballer so he would know all about that,” Zuhair said.
Waheed did not to respond to Minivan News at time of press.
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