Politics

MDP sets eight conditions for backing candidate for Majlis speaker

24 May 2014, 4:24 PM
The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has set eight conditions for supporting a candidate for the Speaker of the 18th People’s Majlis.
Following a meeting of the party’s executive national council in Addu City, the MDP revealed in a statement yesterday (May 23) that the party’s 25 MPs-elect would back a candidate who supports eight main policy objectives:-

Removing obstacles for access to justice and reforming the judiciary

Empowering local councils and amending the Decentralisation Act to enable councils to generate income

Establishing a minimum wage

Strengthening social security and the ‘Aasandha’ health insurance scheme to ensure coverage for all citizens

Assuring investor confidence in business transactions with the state

Working with the MDP to “resolve the international problems that have arisen due to the cancellation of the contract to develop the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport.”

Introducing an income tax, maintaining the Tourism Goods and Services Tax at eight percent and eliminating import duties

Removing obstacles to expanding the guest house business, which is the “quickest route to eradicating poverty.”

The main opposition party contested the parliamentary elections in March on a platform of judicial reform and empowerment of local councils.

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