MDP to cut allowances given to MP Ibrahim Rasheed

The MDP Parliamentary Group has asked the party chairperson to cut the allowances of Maafannu Central MP Ibrahim Rasheed (Bonde) for repeatedly violating the party's whip line.

The MDP has decided to take action against Bonde for voting against three whip lines issued by the MDP Parliamentary Group (PG) last year.

A letter sent to Bonde by MDP's PG leader Mohamed Aslam said he had asked party Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail to cut the allowances issued to Bonde, as a disciplinary measure against him in accordance with the party's Parliamentary Group rules.

The three whip lines mentioned in Aslam's letter were those on the supplementary budget, the budget for this year, and the three-line whip issued to pass the GST hike bill.

Aslam's letter said that if a whip line is issued, it is mandatory for the party's MPs to appear at the Parliament and give their vote accordingly. It is also against the rules not to appear in Parliament without prior permission, even in the case of a situation where non-attendance is acceptable to the party leadership.

According to the MDP's rules of procedure, the first violation of a whip line would result in a warning. If the offense is repeated a second time, the MP would be given a warning and required to apologize. If the whip line is violated for the third time, their benefits will be deducted.

If he repeats the offense for a fourth time and holds a party position, he will be removed from that position and will not be able to contest internal elections for one year. He will be expelled from the party for a fifth time.

In a letter sent in response to Aslam, Bonde said he was elected by the people and that he would vote according to their wishes. He pointed out that Aslam had also violated several party whips in the past by not attending several sessions of Parliament over the past four years.

Bonde described taking action against certain people who violate the whip line as an injustice. He also said in Parliament today that the move to take action against him was an effort to destroy a particular ideology.