While the People’s Majlis had on Wednesday passed to reduce the salaries of the president and vice president by 35 percent, questions have been raised over the validity of this.

As per the Maldivian Constitution, the parliament is to declare the salary and benefits of the president and VP. Majlis in 2009 passed the ‘Emoluments and Benefits of the President and Vice President Law’ which states that the salary of the president is MVR 100,000 while the VP’s is MVR 75,000. Hence, there have been questions raised over whether their salaries can be reduced without amending this law.

Chair of the parliament economic affairs committee and Kinbidhoo constituency MP Mohamed Nashiz spoke to RaajjeMV regarding this, and stressed that they had forgone the procedure ‘as this is a temporary deduction’.

Noting that the decision was reached as per the guidance of the parliament’s Counselor General Fathmath Filza, Nashiz said that she had stated that an amendment to the law was not required.

He said that the salary deductions of the president and vice president were included in the request submitted by the finance minister, and added that this was done on the request of President Ibrahim Moahmed Solih. Further, he said that an amendment is not required ‘if the president does not have any objections.’

MP Nashiz also noted that the finance minister has to submit a motion through a parliamentarian, in order to change the law.

Following the three-month 35 percent reduction approved by the parliament, President Solih’s salary has been reduced to MVR 65,000 and Vice President Faisal Naseem’s to MVR 48,750.

The salary reductions are part of the government’s plans to reduce state expenditure amid the Covid-19 pandemic which has affected the country’s economy immensely.