FM Khaleel let off the hook for lying to Majlis; deceiving lawmakers now allowed!

In a stunning move that raises serious ethical concerns, the case of Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Abdulla Khaleel lying to the People’s Majlis has been dismissed, with ruling party lawmakers from the People’s National Congress (PNC) effectively declaring that deceiving parliament is acceptable.

MP for South Galolhu constituency, Meekail Ahmed Naseem, has raised a formal privilege issue against Minister Khaleel, accusing him of lying to the People’s Majlis during a recent parliamentary sitting. The complaint was submitted under Article 208 of the Majlis Regulations.

According to Meekail, FM Khaleel provided false information during the 25th sitting of the second session held on August 13, in response to a 'Question Notice' submitted on June 2, under Article 83 of the Majlis Regulations.

The lawmaker noted that the minister lied in his responses to questions during the sitting, and cited a specific exchange where Khaleel, replying to a question from MP for South Hithadhoo constituency Ibrahim Nazil claimed: "You won't see me wearing an 'India Out T-shirt' on social media, but you might have seen me wearing a T-shirt related to the Maldives' independence and sovereignty."

However, Meekail highlighted that public evidence contradicts the minister’s claim, noting that images of Khaleel wearing an "India Out" T-shirt, directly referencing the controversial campaign, are widely available on social media. The shirt in question was reportedly worn by the minister during the Covid-19 period.

To support his allegation, Meekail attached a photo of the foreign minister wearing the politically charged T-shirt as part of the privilege complaint. Despite the clear contradiction, the case was ultimately dismissed by lawmakers from the main-ruling PNC, who appear to have signaled that misleading the legislature carries no consequence under their watch.

MP Meekail underscored that the powers and privileges of the People’s Majlis are clearly outlined in Law No. 5/2013, The Privileges and Powers of the People’s Majlis Act, as well as Article 3 and Article 90 (a) and (b) of the Constitution of the Republic of Maldives, which grant the People’s Majlis, its committees, and lawmakers the authority to hold public officials accountable for their conduct within the legislative process.

However, when a vote was held on whether to accept Meekail’s privilege issue against FM Khaleel, PNC lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to dismiss it. This, despite the public circulation of photos showing the Minister wearing an “India Out” T-shirt, directly contradicting his statement to the parliament denying any such act.

The motion to accept the issue was rejected with 37 votes against, all from PNC members. Only eight members from the main-opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) voted in favor of pursuing the case, allowing the matter to be formally closed.