Speaker admonishes MPs for failure to maintain confidentiality of closed-door committee discussions

Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla on Tuesday urged parliamentarians to maintain the confidentiality of information discussed in closed-door committee meetings.

He made the appeal during the parliamentary debate on Tuesday afternoon on amendments proposed by the government to the National Payment System Act.

During the debate, Deputy Speaker and Dhiggaru MP Ahmed Nazim said that during the closed-door Public Accounts Committee meeting the previous day, Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) Governor Ahmed Munawar had said that the purpose of the amendments was to improve the national payment system, Favara, and invite additional banks to enroll in the system.

South Hulhumale’ MP Dr. Ahmed Shamheed, who also sits in the PAC, went on to say that the MMA officials reported they have a gloomy economic outlook for the Maldives. He said that the national GDP which the MMA projected would increase by 5.5 percent last year, was revised down to 3.3 percent.

He added that the inflation rate is now above 5.5 percent.

Shamheed said that Munawar did not provide a response when asked if the Maldives is in a situation where it is able to honor its external debt obligations next year.

“Therefore, our people need to know what the situation is. We again asked the MMA governor yesterday not to withhold this information but explain everything to the Maldivian people. To explain to them the situation the country currently faces,” said Shamheed, a member of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

After Shamheed finished his statement, Abdul Raheem said he does not believe it right for parliamentarians to reveal information discussed during closed-door committee meetings at the floor.

“I believe that refraining from revealing discussions held in closed committee meetings if something we must practice even if its for the sake of respecting the Parliament’s standing orders,” he said, naming Shamheed.

Hanimaadhoo MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa, the other MDP parliamentarian who sits in the PAC, responded that no parliamentarian should reveal what is discussed in closed-door committee meetings, irrespective of which party they belong to.

He questioned why Abdul Raheem did not find issue with references that Nazim, a member of the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) made regarding Monday’s PAC meeting, but chose to name Shamheed instead.

Abdul Raheem said that his remarks by directed at all parliamentarians, and that he only named Shamheed “to remind parliamentarians” to maintain confidentiality.

Abdul Ghafoor responded that the MDP had requested to hold an open PAC meeting, citing that meetings are only closed if it pertains to matters of national security.

“But, abusing our powers to hide things from the people is wrong, Honorable Speaker. Its just plain wrong. They just sent a letter before coming here asking to have a closed meeting. But why should we hide this, Speaker? Its taxpayer money. It’s the people who are paying for all this,” he said.

Though the two MDP parliamentarians who sit in the PAC had protested against holding a closed-door meeting, the PNC had used its clear majority to bar the press from the meeting as requested by Munawar.

The shortage in US dollars has led to the black market rate for USD soaring above MVR 20, as frustrations mount over Munawar’s seeming silence over the issue.

MDP’s parliamentary had sent a letter on July 16 seeking a meeting with Munawar to discuss concerns over the soaring USD rate in the black market.

However, MDP has said that they have not received a response and have repeatedly gone to the MMA headquarters seeking a meeting.

But they have yet to be granted one with Munawar.

The USD crunch has been blamed on the rise in prices of essential commodities, including basic food products.