The leader of Maldives National Party (MNP) and Dhangethi MP Mohamed Nazim on Wednesday called on the ruling party to cede control of the parliamentary committees on finance and state accountability should be chaired by opposition parties.
MNP's presidential candidate while speaking at a campaign event, expressed concern over the current parliament deadlock
Nazim said his party was willing to enter discussions with the government and other political parties to bring a prompt resolution to the disputes over the reconstitution of the parliamentary standing committees.
Opposition MPs had stymied Wednesday's sitting, demanding the parliament secretariat to remove the reconstitution of the standing from the agenda.
According to Nazim, those who were behind democratic reform and development are now opposing progress.
“Since last week we have seen things we never anticipated,” he said.
“The three members [MPs] from our party have continuously insisted that the parliament must function."
Nazim also highlighted that his party has led the opposition's responsibility to hold the government accountable
The MNP leader said that the party does not wish for parliament to remain in deadlock.
“Today, I would like to call on the government, the parliament Speaker and the ruling MPs to think profoundly [about the parliament’s condition],” Nazim said.
The parliament hit a deadlock after the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) submitted no-confidence motions against both the Speaker Mohamed Nasheed and Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla.
Besides the no-confidence motion, the exit of Eva along with 11 other members from the ruling party had changed the composition of the standing committees.