Parliament has passed the Bill for an Act to amend the Parliamentary Retirement Allowances Act 1989, which has moved down the term of a person who has held a position of a qualifying office and is entitled to receive an allowance after serving 3-years and 6-months in parliament.
The previous term to qualify for parliament retirement pension was 4-years.
While speaking on the amendment, the Attorney General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says that if this bill is not passed, all the current parliamentarians will not get the pension.
Sayed-Khaiyum highlighted this when the National Federation Party Leader, Professor Biman Prasad stated that they do not support the amendment.
Sayed-Khaiyum says that the amendment is not a political gimmick.
The Act defines a qualifying office as a member of Parliament, the Prime Minister, the Attorney‑General, a Minister, an Assistant Minister, the Speaker of Parliament, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, the Leader of the Opposition, the Leader of the Government in Parliament, the Opposition Whip, and the Government Whip.
