Independent institutions would only have the opportunity to offer their respective opinions on the proposed budget for next year in writing, the parliamentary budget review committee passed Saturday.
In previous years, heads of the archipelago's independent institutions are summoned to the committee to offer their opinions to the respective state budget allocations for the upcoming year.
However, the motion to skip the process this year proposed by government lawmakers was passed after the committee chair, chief government lawmaker Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik cast his tie breaker vote.
Opposition lawmakers had fought the motion but the subsequent votes had ended in a 12-12 tie.
The proposed budget for independent institutions was significantly lower than previous years, with the judicial and graft watchdogs bearing the brunt of the budget cut.
Opposition lawmakers representing their respective party's in the committee aired grievances over the budget cut which according to them would further impede the effective functioning of the country's independent institutions -- already under a cloud of incompetence and allegations of government influence.
However, government lawmakers argued that summoning the institutions was "waste of a time" with little to no benefit.
So instead the motion unanimously backed by the government lawmakers would obtain the views of independent institutions in writing.
