Opposition refuses to take part in Parliament’s India trip

Opposition coalition MPs refused to take part in an official trip by members of the Parliament to India.

The Parliamentary delegation left for India on December 8 and will return on December 13, 2019. The delegation consists of 15 members of the Parliament from political parties other than the opposition coalition of PNC and PPM and is led by the Speaker Mohamed Nasheed.

A parliament official informed ”Sun” that the invitation to take part in the trip was extended to all the political parties but stated that it was not known why no opposition MPs took part in the trip. No official word from PNC or PPM is available on the matter.

However, sources indicate that the move by the opposition was in protest at former President Yameen’s jail sentence. Opposition MPs believe it would be difficult to travel with the governing party MPs at a time when the former President was in jail due to injustice delivered from a politically motivated trial.

Former President Abdulla Yameen was found guilty of money laundering by the Criminal Court and was sentenced to five years in jail with a fine of USD five million in November. The ruling has been rejected by the opposition parties who alleged that the trial as a politically motivated trial.

The parliamentary delegation in India signed an MoU yesterday with the Lok Sabha to increase and advance the already warm relations between the two countries. The Maldivian delegation will also be visiting important sites and locations in India during this trip.