A leader unpopular today may gain support tomorrow: AbduRaheem

Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla has said today that it is the way of the world that every day is different from the next, and that in this vein, a leader who is unpopular today may gain support the next. 

AbduRaheem's comments were in response to North Galolhu MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem's remarks regarding the nomination of former Supreme Court Judge Mahaz Ali Zahir as a member of the Tax Appeal Tribunal. 

Meekail questioned why Mahaz was being nominated as a member of the Tax Appeal Tribunal when parliament had removed him from the Supreme Court bench citing a lack of confidence. 

Before yielding the floor to another MP, the Speaker addressed Meekail's remarks, noting that it is the natural order of things for circumstances to differ from day to day. 

"A leader admired today may fall out of favour tomorrow. One distrusted today may earn trust another day. And a leader once seen as indispensable may soon become intolerable," said AbduRaheem. 

He then went on to advise MP Meekail to stick to the topic when speaking in parliamentary debates, as at the time of the remarks, the debate had been on the Re-employment Bill. 

During his remarks, Meekail also claimed that Mahaz had been removed from the Supreme Court bench with backing from the ruling People's National Congress (PNC). 

"When parliament received the President's nominations for the Tax Appeal Tribunal, the name on top of the list, the name most strongly endorsed by the President is that of that judge that PNC members had just recently dismissed, finding him corrupt, lacking integrity and substance," Meekail questioned the decision, adding that the public is equally puzzled by the reversal and is seeking clear answers.