Parliament not a rubber stamp legislature of the President anymore
| DATE: 2007-07-28 | PRINT | Share
When the President's Office sent in bills, it gets "automatically" passed by the parliament. Three years ago, the news clips showed by state broadcaster Television Maldives showed MPs overwhelmingly raise their hands, almost like puppets, in support of any bill that is sent by the President's Office or by any other government agency.
Dissent then was rare; when the parliament, which is known as the People's Majlis here, after 17 years completed a flawed constitution and asked for a vote, only two voters did not vote for the constitution -- Ahmed "X-ray" Athif (pic), a former member of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and lawyer Ahmed Muiz, an independent to this day.
But since the September 20, 2003 riots, everything has changed. The parliament and the interim constitutional assembly (the People's Special Majlis) tasked with amending the constitution, is now divided.
Though the ruling Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) used to have a majority in both the Majlises, the 'defection' of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's half brother Abdulla Yameen and his supporters have divided the Majlis into three, or perhaps even more, factions. And with surprising results.
When the President recently proposed his five nominees to the Civil Service Commission, a parliamentary committee who studied the backgrounds of the nominees, unanimously opposed the Presidential nominees. According to some MPs, this is the first time that a parliamentary committee was unanimous in opposing a move by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Surprising because the seven-member committee consisted of Fisheries Minister Hussain Hilmy, and Vaavu atoll MP and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid. Only two of the candidates proposed by the President were endorsed by the parliament itself.
Similar trends were seen when a parliamentary committee at first rejected Minister of State for Finance and Treasury Abdulla Jihad's proposed appointment to the post of the Governor of Maldives' central bank, the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA). Jihad was endorsed by the committee only after going to a second round of voting.
Likewise, when MMA's Deputy Managing Director Abdul Ghafoor Abdul Latheef's name was proposed for the post of MMA's Deputy Governor, it was at first rejected by a parliamentary committee.
Political analysts say that while this is a huge setback for the President, it also demonstrates that separation of powers and checks and balances are working already to reinforce democracy during this critical juncture to turn Maldives from an authoritarian regime to a full-fledged liberal democracy.
| DATE: 2007-07-28 | PRINT | Share
When the President's Office sent in bills, it gets "automatically" passed by the parliament. Three years ago, the news clips showed by state broadcaster Television Maldives showed MPs overwhelmingly raise their hands, almost like puppets, in support of any bill that is sent by the President's Office or by any other government agency.
Dissent then was rare; when the parliament, which is known as the People's Majlis here, after 17 years completed a flawed constitution and asked for a vote, only two voters did not vote for the constitution -- Ahmed "X-ray" Athif (pic), a former member of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and lawyer Ahmed Muiz, an independent to this day.
But since the September 20, 2003 riots, everything has changed. The parliament and the interim constitutional assembly (the People's Special Majlis) tasked with amending the constitution, is now divided.
Though the ruling Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) used to have a majority in both the Majlises, the 'defection' of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's half brother Abdulla Yameen and his supporters have divided the Majlis into three, or perhaps even more, factions. And with surprising results.
When the President recently proposed his five nominees to the Civil Service Commission, a parliamentary committee who studied the backgrounds of the nominees, unanimously opposed the Presidential nominees. According to some MPs, this is the first time that a parliamentary committee was unanimous in opposing a move by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Surprising because the seven-member committee consisted of Fisheries Minister Hussain Hilmy, and Vaavu atoll MP and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid. Only two of the candidates proposed by the President were endorsed by the parliament itself.
Similar trends were seen when a parliamentary committee at first rejected Minister of State for Finance and Treasury Abdulla Jihad's proposed appointment to the post of the Governor of Maldives' central bank, the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA). Jihad was endorsed by the committee only after going to a second round of voting.
Likewise, when MMA's Deputy Managing Director Abdul Ghafoor Abdul Latheef's name was proposed for the post of MMA's Deputy Governor, it was at first rejected by a parliamentary committee.
Political analysts say that while this is a huge setback for the President, it also demonstrates that separation of powers and checks and balances are working already to reinforce democracy during this critical juncture to turn Maldives from an authoritarian regime to a full-fledged liberal democracy.
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