A sitting of parliament with a no-confidence motion filed by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) against Speaker Mohamed Nasheed on the agenda could not be held today.
The sitting was canceled because Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla was on sick leave, according to the parliament secretariat.
Announcing the cancellation of Sunday’s sitting, Secretary General Fathmath Niusha said Eva informed the secretariat of her illness this morning.
According to parliament’s rules, if an impeachment motion has been submitted to remove the Speaker of Parliament, MPs must be notified and the motion must be placed on the agenda of the first sitting to take place after the notice period expires.
The motion will be on the agenda for tomorrow’s sitting as well, Niusha said.
“I inform the honorable MPs that this motion will be put in the agenda again for tomorrow’s sitting and the Deputy Speaker will be asked to preside over the sitting,” Niusha said, addressing the MPs who were in the chamber at the time that today’s sitting was due to begin.
Eva said in a letter sent to Niusha that she was taking leave with reference to section 246 of the rules.
In the letter sent along with a medical certificate and blood reports, she asked for the documents to be shared with Hithadhoo Uthuru MP Mohamed Aslam, the majority leader of parliament, and with Medhu Henveiru MP Ali Azim, the minority leader.
