Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed has been served a 14-day notice to respond to the motion of no-confidence filed against him. The notice was issued by the Parliament Secretariat on Monday.
The Parliament Rules stipulate that if a no-confidence motion is submitted against the Speaker, its notice must be issued to the Speaker and MPs within three days of receiving it.
The main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) filed a no-confidence motion against Nasheed with 54 signatures on June 7. President of Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) and Meedhoo MP Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, Nolhivaram MP Mohamed Nasheed Abdulla, Thulusdhoo MP Ibrahim Naseem, and Kaashidhoo MP Abdulla Jabir are among those who signed the motion.
The MDP Parliamentary Group said they were seeking Nasheed's removal as Speaker as he has repeatedly acted in violation of the rules and regulations of the Parliament. This includes obstructing the reconstitution of parliamentary committees, involvement in disruptive actions by certain members, and frequently leaving the chair during sessions without providing any specific reason. Moreover, the Speaker has been accused of displaying personal biases against certain members and impeding the progress of the no-confidence motion against Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath.
Rule 205(b) of the Parliament rules states that Parliament may move the Speaker of Parliament for impeachment if at least one-fourth of the total number of Members of Parliament signs a resolution in writing.
Rule 205(a) of the Rules of Parliament states that the Speaker and Deputy Speaker would be removed from their positions when the resolution is passed by a majority of the members present and voting at a session of the Parliament.
There are currently 87 members in the Parliament. While 44 votes are needed to remove Nasheed, the MDP alone currently has 56 members.
