An emergency motion has been submitted to Parliament, alleging that the government has interfered with the rights and work of taxi drivers.
The motion was submitted by opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Galolhu South MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem during the second sitting of the first session of this year’s Parliament.
The case claims that police obstructed a taxi drivers' protest on December 11 last year, without regard for their constitutional rights.
“Taxi drivers engaged in a peaceful protest at the junction of Hulhumalé Highway were arrested, and the taxis involved in the protest were towed, in a manner that interferes with the freedom of assembly, property ownership, and the right to work,” the motion stated.
No casualties or property damage were reported during the protest, but was an attempt by the government to silence the people, MP Meekail said.
Ruling party’s People’s National Congress (PNC), which holds a super-majority in Parliament, has accepted the emergency motion and begun the debate.
However, several PNC members who spoke in the debate argued that the motion was politically motivated.
PNC members claimed the taxi drivers' protest had been covertly organized by the MDP and had disrupted travel for hundreds of people between Hulhumalé and Malé.
Three individuals were arrested, and 22 cars were towed for causing disruption during the protest.
The protest was sparked by opposition to the government's proposal to introduce a state-owned taxi service. However, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation later clarified that no work on the government-run taxi line had yet begun.
Sign In