Have doubts whether President ratifies the bills passed by the Parliament: MP Musthafa

Thimarafushi Constituency MP Mohamed Musthafa says that he had doubts on whether the bills ratified by the President are in fact the ones passed by the Parliament. He made the statement in Tuesday’s Parliament session, where Parliamentarians from ruling coalition had expressed their anger over the Criminal Procedures act.

Speaking in Tuesday night’s edition of RaajjeTV’s ‘Sungadi’ program, MP Musthafa said there was significant doubts following the events of the Parliament session earlier that day. He said the sponsor of the bill, Parliamentarian for the Bilehdhoo Constituency, said he had signed all the 17 pages of the bill. However, when it came to the debate stage at the Parliament floor, 20 additional pages were on the bill, which had resulted in the commotion.

Raajje.mv understands that after Maseeh called for a break, Attorney General Mohamed Anil and Tourism Minister Moosa Zameer had visited the Parliament Secretariat and met the MPs, in order to placate them.

Speaking to Raajje.mv, PPM Parliamentary Group Deputy Leader Riyaz Rasheed said the bill had been revoked to amend small issues they had noted.

MP Musthafa denies these allegations stating that it was taken back when it was revealed that changes had been brought to the bill before debates. He said some of the changes meant that Parliamentarians can be held at gun point, which was why the Parliamentarians had voiced their displeasure.

Musthafa added the Parliamentarians had called for Speaker’s immediate resignation and criticized him. He noted that this was not the first transgression Maseeh had carried out as Speaker. He stated that there was no person who will check on the bills after they are passed. Therefore, MP Musthafa said there was possibility of tampering, questioning whether the bills ratified by the President are in fact the ones passed by the Parliament.

Speaker Maseeh, he said, must take responsibility for this.