President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that the 19th Parliament's support is required to pass the bills on granting authorities to the two presidential commissions established to investigate corruption, murders an enforced disappearances.
Speaking at a campaign event in Milandhoo island of Shaviyani atoll, the president said the current parliament does not wish to permit legal authorities for the two commissions. The president noted that the issue of corruption and murders had reached a dangerous level at the time he faced the presidential election. However, the parliament is not cooperating in giving necessary authority to the two commissions that were established immediately after he assumed Office, said the president.
"We began our efforts into investigating murders and corruption. However, today the work remains dormant, and all the citizens [of the nation] are well aware why this is so. The parliament does not wish to extend these authorities to the commissions", said the President.
Noting several reasons that necessitate the commissions to be presented with more authority, the president said although several independent institutions have been established for such purposes, the people of the nation do not trust these institutions. There would be no need to establish a special commission if the independent entities functioned as it should, said President Solih.
The president further stressed the importance of implementing the work of the commissions without delay, noting that it is one of the many reasons that a parliament majority is important for the government.
"We need parliament's support and majority to achieve this. There are several actions that need to be undertaken for development, that cannot be achieved without the support of the parliament. Today, we are here to achieve our targets, that is the hope we have for our nation", he added.
Over three separate attempts have been made by the government to pass the bills granting sweeping powers to the two commissions since the commissions were first established. However, due to one reason or another, mostly due to loss of quorum on the parliament floor, the 18th parliament has failed to pass the bills through the parliament. The bills are now on hold while the committee reviews the bills once more due to issues with the report published by the committee after researching the bills. No more work as been done on the bills since then.
