Minister of Finance Dr. Ibrahim Ameer has decided not to attend the Parliament sitting to present the proposed state budget for next year. The government had proposed a state budget of USD3.2 billion for 2024.
The Public Finance Act and the parliamentary regulations state that the proposed state budget for next year should be submitted to the Parliament by November 1. The proposed budget should also be presented by the finance minister. The parliamentary regulations further dictate that the parliamentarians complete all work related to the state budget by the end of November and go to recess.
The state budget was placed on the agenda for the sitting on October 31, coinciding with a no-confidence motion against Speaker Mohamed Nasheed. The parliamentary regulations dictate that all other proceedings of the Parliament should be suspended until a vote is cast on the no-confidence motion against the Speaker. Therefore, Minister Ameer opted not to attend the sitting to propose the state budget, following the recommendation of the Attorney General. The finance minister was counseled to refrain from attending a Parliament sitting until the conclusion of the no-confidence motion.
The main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) submitted the no-confidence motion against Speaker Nasheed with 49 signatures on October 9. Speaker Nasheed was required to respond to the motion within 14 days after receiving the notice. However, the last two sittings were cancelled after Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla filed for sick leave. The motion has now been scheduled for November 1.
Moreover, the Parliamentary Group (PG) of MDP has filed a case at the Supreme Court to find a resolution on the stalled no-confidence motion, stating that the parliamentary regulations dictate that if the Speaker or Deputy Speaker is unable to preside over a sitting, the senior most member appointed by the Speaker should take charge. However, the Secretary General of Parliament stated that the regulations specify that only the Deputy Speaker can preside over a no-confidence motion against the Speaker, and there are no explicit provisions for situations where the Deputy Speaker is unavailable for this duty.