The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) parliamentary group decided on Tuesday to remove MDP president Mohamed Nasheed as speaker of parliament.
Adhadhu has learned that 36 out of 42 MPs who attended a parliamentary group meeting voted in favour of impeaching Nasheed.
"We decided to submit a no-confidence motion against president Nasheed because he has been repeatedly conducting parliament sittings against the rules," an MP told Adhadhu.
The MDP has started gathering signatures to file the motion.
MDP MPs begin signing the motion. -- Photo: Mohamed Shabin/ Adhadhu
A no-confidence motion to remove the speaker or deputy speaker must be submitted with the signatures of no less than one-fourth of parliament's full membership. That is the signature of 22 MPs out of the 87 MPs in parliament.
According to the constitution, the no-confidence motion can be passed with a simple majority. That is 44 MPs. The MDP's parliamentary group has more than the required number.
MDP MPs lose confidence in the speaker
The decision to impeach Nasheed comes after MDP MPs protested in front of the speaker’s desk during Tuesday's sitting of parliament over the failure to proceed with attorney general Ibrahim Riffath’s no-confidence motion for three days.
When the AG first responded in writing to the no-confidence motion - which contends that his litigation was detrimental to the state in a dispute where an international court demarcated the country’s southern exclusive economic - the speaker decided not to call a vote on Wednesday.
But when Riffath appeared in person at Monday’s sitting and attempted to speak in his defense, MPs took consecutive points of order and interrupted him. Speaker Mohamed Nasheed allowed a high number of points of order.
At the beginning of Tuesday’s sitting, Faresmaathoda MP Hussain Mohamed Latheef submitted a privileges complaint against Riffath. The complaint was not passed for a debate but the opposition argued that parliament could not proceed with the no-confidence motion without a decision on the privileges issue. The speaker decided to hold the no-confidence motion and proceed to the next item on the agenda.
The next item was to be proposed by Henveiru Hulhagu MP Hassan Latheef. But MDP MPs refused to allow it and protested in front of the speaker’s desk. About 15 MPs directed criticism at Nasheed, who remains the MDP’s president.
“Mugabe, Mugabe, Mugabe,” MDP MPs could be heard calling Nasheed in the TV livestream.
With the parliament sitting stalled Nasheed decided to adjourn for the tea break. Vilufushi MP Hassan Afeef would preside after the break, Nasheed said.
"The speaker has acted very unjustly"
Briefing the media on Wednesday, Velidhoo MP Mohamed Abdulla Shafeeq, the MDP parliamentary group’s spokesman, said the speaker acted “in a manner that was very surprising.”
MDP MPs have serious concerns over the actions of the speaker and opposition MPs in the AG’s no-confidence motion, he said.
Velidhoo MP Mohamed Abdulla Shafeeq. -- Photo: Abdulla Iyan/ Adhadhu
“As the sitting started, the opposition, especially three MPs, went very close to the speaker as well as the attorney general and protested. But the speaker did not issue any warning to them,” he said.
Instead, the speaker stopped MDP MPs from speaking, he alleged. When the sitting grew heated, the speaker called out the names of some MDP MPs and advised them.
Despite calling the names of four MDP MPs, they were not expelled from the chamber, he noted.
“However, I believe, and our parliamentary group believes, that the speaker has acted very unjustly here,” he said.
MDP MPs have been expressing concern over Nasheed’s conduct in presiding over sittings. MPs who support Nasheed have also resigned from the MDP to form a new party.
They have also accused Nasheed of delaying government legislation and prioritizing resolutions and emergency motions submitted by the opposition in the agenda.
A no-confidence motion was previously submitted against deputy speaker Eva Abdulla, who resigned from the MDP to join The Democrats led by Nasheed.
