The Speaker of the Parliament, Mohammed Nasheed, has urged not to infringe on the honour and dignity of the Secretary-General of the Parliament and other officials of the institution.
The Speaker of Parliament said in a statement today that the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament are fully representative of the people and contain the principles needed to run the Parliament in an accountable and transparent manner.
One of the features of the Rules of Procedure is the independence given to the Secretary General and the Counsel General of Parliament. The Rules of Procedure of the Parliament have specific times for performing the duties of the Parliament, he said. These include the absence of a Speaker of Parliament.
The statement also read that this is a time where the parliament has received a a motion to impeach the Speaker and the Deputy-Speaker, and the procedures to be followed upon receipt of such a case are very clearly stated in the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament.
“Under the Rules of Parliament, only the Counsel General of Parliament can provide “legal advice and legal assistance” in explaining decisions to the parliament and its members. The rules of the parliament make it very clear that the leaders of the political parties in the parliament, and the members of the parliament, should seek legal assistance and consultation in interpreting the rules of the parliament,” he said.
Nasheed said that despite the political rivalry among the political parties in parliament and among some MPs, it is the duty of every citizen and every member of parliament to uphold the rule of law.
“Therefore, the dignity and honor of the Secretary General and other officials of the Parliament should not be invaded at all,” he said.
Many committees in the parliament have been suspended and Nasheed today informed that he is reluctant to preside over the parliament while there is a motion to remove him as Speaker.
