Speaker: Parliamentarians among COVID-19 frontline workers

Parliament Speaker, former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed said on Wednesday that he counts parliamentarians among frontline workers in the battle to curb the spread of the new coronavirus in the country.

He made the remark during a session held with Health Minister Abdulla Ameen at the Parliament to question him regarding the national coronavirus efforts.

Nasheed said that the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had labeled a comfort toy used by children to sleep as “frontline workers”, and that he believed that parliamentarians were also frontline workers.

“If you had not worked as frontline workers amidst this COVID situation, I don’t believe the system could have continued to function this way. Especially when it comes to financial matters and other procedural matters. I for one certainly count the honorable members of this Parliament as COVID frontline workers,” he said.

Nasheed said that parliamentarians do not seek a frontline allowance, but instead had their salaries reduced.

He expressed his gratitude to parliamentarians.