Jumhooree Party has revealed that Members of Parliament were barred access from viewing the China Maldives Free Trade Agreement, even when the Agreement was in Parliament and being debated in Parliament.
A statement released by the Party regarding the agreement stated that the Government had acted against set rules and procedures in submitting and in passing the FTA through Parliament. It also noted that it was deeply alarming the FTA was fast tracked through Parliament. As such, the statement said from submitting the FTA to Parliament Committee on National Security, holding an emergency session of the said Committee, to passing the 1000-page agreement in the space of 10 minutes and passing the FTA in the Parliament were all carried out against Parliament procedures. The hasty nature of passing the FTA, the Party said, was further proof that the Parliament was acting against the better good of public and was motivated by goals other than protecting public rights.
It further said that any decrees, agreements and motions passed while a motion of no confidence in the Parliament Speaker Abdullah Maseeh was pending cannot be deemed legitimate. Additionally, the statement also said Elections Commission (EC) had stripped sitting 12 MPs from their seats and therefore any motion that is passed without their representation cannot also be accepted.
The Party also noted that the FTA was an imposition on all citizens and therefore, required the vote of at least 43 MPs or half of the full Parliament. While clause 87 of the Constitution mandates that half of the Parliament must vote on matters pertinent to national interest, only 30 MPs had voted in the session. Due to this, Jumhooree Party stated that they do not believe the FTA was voted in unconstitutionally and therefore, need not be implemented.
The statement called on the Government of Maldives to cease all work related to the China Maldives Free Trade Agreement, immediately. It concluded by calling on the Government to cease all activities that negatively impacted citizens and the nation overall.
