Cannot allow time to be wasted with emergency motions, need to tighten policy: MPs

Some parliamentarians of the ruling party, People's National Congress (PNC) has called to tighten policies regarding emergency motions, disallowing those submitted solely for the purpose of 'wasting time' and obstructing important affairs of the legislative.

The PNC controlled parliament had rejected the emergency motion submitted by the opposition, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) today, which stated that the government has been failing to send payments to local students studying abroad under the government's sponsorship. Another motion submitted by MDP on Wednesday last week was also declined by PNC.

Debating on the amendments brought to the Copyrights & Related Rights Act, some members alleged that MDP has been submitting emergency motions to the parliament for the sole reason of wasting time. The members had called for an easier means of submitting emergency motion instead of allowing such lengthy consumption of time.

Parliamentarian of the Fonadhoo Constituency, Mohamed Mamdhooh also stated that the opposition has been lodging emergency motion to delay and impede easy progression of important parliament affairs. He asserted that these motions are being submitted without clarification of the events despite the information being easily available.

"Another emergency motion was submitted to obstruct important national work that needs to be done in this parliament. I believe that some form of barrier must come against such things," he said.

MP of West Maafannu Constituency, Mohamed Musthafa Ibrahim also maintained that the opposition has been successively introducing emergency motions to brand the 20th parliament as a purposeless legislative, further emphasizing that policies must be structured to restrain easy submission of such motions.

"Each day is begun within a pointless matter that is unfounded and outside procedures," said Musthafa.

Several other PNC parliamentarians who spoke at the debate had also expressed support for the proposal.

The current regulations of the parliament's guidelines allows all members to submit emergency motions. However, the motion will be accepted or debates on the motion will proceed after the majority of the parliament vote to pass the motion.