PNC concerned budget won't be passed before Muizzu's inauguration

PNC expressed concern today that the budget proposed by the Finance Ministry for next year may not be passed before the President-elect is sworn in on November 17.

The Finance Ministry sent the 2024 budget to Parliament on Monday.

However, the Parliament has come to a standstill after the no-confidence motion against the Speaker of Parliament has not progressed.

Therefore, the Attorney General has advised Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer not to appear in Parliament to present the budget until the matter of the no-confidence motion is taken up. Therefore, the minister has decided not to present the budget until the case is resolved.

PNC Chairman Abdul Raheem Abdulla told Sun today that the stalemate in the Parliament is not only a concern for PNC. And, it is a matter of concern to the whole country, he said.

Abdul Raheem said President-elect. Muizzu should start fulfilling his promises after being sworn in on November. He said it was very important to pass the budget in order to be able to do that and the fact that the parliament is currently stalled without doing so is a concern of PNC.

“After all, he has to fulfill the promises he has made after being sworn in on November 17. It will be very difficult to do that if the budget has not been passed before then,” he said.

"First of all, the employees' salaries should be paid. Any of this can only be done when the budget is passed.”

Three sittings of the no-confidence motion, signed by 49 MPs from MDP, that holds the majority in Parliament, were scheduled this week. However, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Eva Abdulla has called in sick for three days.

MDP members have protested against the failure to hold the sitting scheduled for Tuesday. On the same day, the party filed a petition seeking the advice of the Supreme Court regarding the case. MDP has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a ruling that no further session of the Parliament can be held until the no-confidence motion against Nasheed is resolved.

The Supreme Court accepted the case last Monday. 

The Supreme Court said today that a hearing on the case is scheduled for next Monday. The hearing will be held between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm on that day.