Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs who make up a majority of parliament criticised speaker Mohamed Nasheed's conduct in presiding over a no-confidence motion against attorney general Ibrahim Riffath on Monday.
AG Riffath appeared in parliament to speak in his defence over the no-confidence motion. However, opposition MPs started protesting against him as the sitting began and forced proceedings to a halt.
He was allowed the opportunity to speak in his defence when the sitting resumed after parliament's tea break.
But opposition MPs took points of order and started criticising Riffath. While the MDP MPs in the majority acted likewise and started responding to the opposition, some MPs criticised speaker Mohamed Nasheed. One of the MPs who criticised him the most was Maradhoo MP Ibrahim Shareef.
"The parliament's standing orders do not authorize the speaker to offer counsel on how MPs should and should not pose questions and to express views on the ongoing motion. The speaker is acting absolutely against the rules," he said.
Nasheed said he did not consider Shareef's objection a point of order and insisted that he was following the rules.
Speaking in Nasheed's defence, Medhu Henveiru MP Ali Azim noted that the MDP has the majority while its MPs were repeatedly saying that the speaker is acting against the rules.
"Why are they keeping the speaker in that chair? If there's something being done against the rules, why don't they submit a complaint here and proceed with that?" Azim asked.
Nasheed said he has the full confidence of MPs. Responding to the claim, Kendhikulhudhoo MP Ahmed Easa said he no longer supports Nasheed.
"Honourable speaker, I want to say for the record that I do not support the speaker because you are conducting the sitting against parliament's rules," Easa said.
Nasheed said he was saddened by what the Kendhikulhudhoo MP said.
"I'm very saddened over this. Because the Kendhikulhudhoo MP said that, I'm very saddened," Nasheed said, laughing.
Nasheed said he does not believe Easa would take that stance and said he expected the MP would consult with his constituents on the issue.
"What the honourable MP just said was for some other reason. I don't believe at all what the honourable MP said," Nasheed said.
Before the split between MPs who support Nasheed and MPs who support president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Easa was a close associate of Nasheed.
