MDP: Saeed failed to address allegations; wasted one hour with ‘empty talk’

Lawmakers from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) say Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed failed to properly address the issues they raised in the no-confidence motion against him, accusing him of filling the one-hour he was given to respond to the allegations with “empty talk.”

The no-confidence motion, endorsed by all 13 MDP lawmakers who sit in the Parliament, was submitted on August 1, and accused Saeed of dereliction of duty.

The motion was easily thwarted by the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), which holds a supermajority in the Parliament, with a majority vote of 54-10 on Wednesday afternoon.

Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament building shortly after the vote, Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir said that Saeed had spent the one-hour he was given to respond the motion dodging questions and wasting time with empty talk.

He said that Saeed failed to properly address the issues the MDP raised in their motion.

“Out of the total of two hours allotted for this at the Parliament, one hour was given to the minister. But he engaged in empty talk and was forced to end it without addressing the six points we raised,” said Mauroof, who serves as the spokesperson for MDP’s parliamentary group.

He also expressed concern MDP received only nine minutes of debate time to make their case.

“The response from the minister revealed the irresponsibility of the government. He kept blaming others, and admitted himself he does everything on orders from the President, using policy interventions. He failed to resolve the dollar crisis. And it showed us that all other issues also remain unresolved,” said Mauroof.

Vaikaradhoo MP Hussain Ziyad (Fitte), the deputy leader of MDP’s parliamentary group, told reporters that the debate revealed the exchange rate remains high on the black market.

He said that both Saeed and PNC lawmakers deliberately avoided directly mentioning anything about the issue during the debate.

Meanwhile, South Galolhu MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem said that the MDP had failed the motion out of public interest.

He said that Saeed knows to recite the national bank’s annual dollar sales byheart, but cannot explain what happens when people make Telegraphic Transfer (TT) transactions using dollars in their own accounts.

“The economic minister came here today and ridiculed the public. PNC members of the People’s Majlis ridiculed the public,” he said.

The MDP had accused Saeed of blatant violation of the Constitution in the discharge of his duties, negligence in answering to the Parliament, and engaging in acts prohibited of cabinet ministers.

The party also accused him of failure to implement any effective policies to reform the economy, which they said resulted in the US dollar crunch in the country, and caused the rate to soar in the black market.

The MDP alleged that instead of working to resolve the issue, Saeed acted dismissive and called the USD crunch something “natural”, undermining the seriousness of the matter.

Saeed told the Parliament that PNC administration supplied 80 percent or USD 1.9 billion more US dollars to the banks in its first three years than the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) administration did in its last three.

He also accused the MDP of pushing the country towards bankruptcy, stating that it because the incumbent administration is working to fix the situation that its predecessor created that it was forced to introduce a 40 percent mandatory USD exchange requirement for resorts – the country’s biggest dollar revenue makers.

Saeed said that he therefore categorically rejects MDP’s allegations that he failed to implement any effective policies to reform the economy.

While the MDP had enough votes to submit a no-confidence motion, it does not have enough to actually have it passed at the Parliament, in which the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) holds a supermajority with 75 out of 93 seats.

The motion against Saeed marked the third one the MDP has filed against a member of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s cabinet. They filed one against Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusan and Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen, mere months apart last year.

All three motions failed.