Hithadhoo Uthuru MP Mohamed Aslam, parliamentary group leader of the soon-to-be-opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), has been elected to the vacant post of Speaker of Parliament.
The post was vacant after the resignation of Machchangoalhi Medhu MP former President Mohamed Nasheed, which came after a no-confidence motion with the signatures of 49 MPs was moved against him.
Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla presided over a sitting held on Monday night to elect a new Speaker.
Aslam was elected in a secret ballot taken with 76 MPs in attendance. He won the election with 53 votes. The other contender Ali Azim trailed with 23 votes.
Aslam’s opponent Medhu Henveiru MP Ali Azim is the parliamentary group leader of The Democrats.
Aslam was nominated by Ihavandhoo MP Mohamed Shifau and Azim was nominated by Maafannu Uthuru MP Imthiyaz Fahmy.
Aslam was first elected to parliament in 2005. He has since been re-elected to consecutive terms.
After President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih assumed the presidency in November 2018, Aslam also filled the vacant post of the MDP’s parliamentary group leader until the 2019 parliamentary election.
Aslam - who became the majority leader of the 19th parliament and also serves as chair of the ’241’ security services committee - was President Solih’s running mate when he sought a second term in the last presidential election.
