In his weekly radio address, President Mohamed Nasheed has said the country was currently facing the biggest hurdle so far in implementing the Constitution.
“We should face this hurdle with aptitude, patience and wisdom”, the President said referring to the circumstances under which the entire cabinet resigned Tuesday.
Speaking on the reasons for their decision to resign en masse, President Nasheed said they resigned protesting the behaviour of Members of the Parliament who they said were “hijacking” the powers of the executive and making it impossible for the cabinet Ministers to discharge their duties.
He said cabinet Ministers’ real concern was that MPs’ votes at the People’s Majlis were not entirely dependent on their own opinion or ideology or that of the party they represented.
But rather he said the cabinet Ministers alleged that MPs’ votes at the parliament were influenced by bribery.
“The cabinet Ministers will not tolerate this and when they resigned making such allegations [against MPs], it must be investigated”, said the President.
The President said the investigation of the matter was underway, and people who needed to be arrested in connection with the allegations were being arrested.
President Nasheed said we should do everything in our capacity to uphold the Constitution, and realize our desired development for ourselves and for the future generations of the country.
He said this country had a long history and there was little this country has not experienced.
Therefore, the President said everything we do today to shape the future should depend on the lessons from the entire history of this country.
