Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has stated that criticisms of the decisions made by the Parliamentary Group (PG) are invalid if they are made by those who do not attend the meetings.
MDP has the overwhelming majority in the Parliament of the Maldives with 65 members, but the ruling party continues to make its decisions after holding discussions and voting on issues at PG meetings. However, some party members have been making decisions that go against the rulings of the PG meetings.
Speaking to PSM News, PG Leader Mohamed Aslam said every member has the opportunity to express their opinion on the issues being discussed and that the PG aims to address all concerns before coming to a conclusion. He added that the PG sees the meetings as discussion forums and not necessarily a means to make decisions, but that some parliamentarians are unaware of the discussions as they do not attend the meetings.
Additionally, Aslam said it is undemocratic for any member to assert they would act against the whip lines issued by the PG. He said each member received the party ticket after agreeing to certain conditions, which includes agreeing to the actions that would be taken if a member refuses to obey the whip line. He said that members would first be advised not to repeat such actions, and then further action would include reducing their involvement within the party and dismissing them from the party. He added that party members will discuss making changes to the penalisation process for members who refuse to obey the party’s two-line and three-line whips.