The main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)'s Parliamentary Group has issued a three-line whip to pass the no-confidence motion against Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed.
The three-line whip to remove Nasheed was passed unanimously at the MDP parliamentary group meeting held Wednesday afternoon. The three-line whip compels MDP MPs to vote to remove Nasheed from his position as Speaker.
The motion for a vote of no confidence against Nasheed was initiated on October 9, with the support of 49 MDP MPs. Subsequently, Nasheed and other MPs received official notice of the motion on October 12. On October 18, the General Committee of Parliament granted Nasheed 30 minutes to respond to the motion of no confidence.
The resolution accompanying the motion outlines several allegations against Nasheed, including accusations of prioritizing his personal interests over government bills designed to address the needs of the citizens. It further alleges that Nasheed's actions demonstrate partiality, which violates Parliament laws. The resolution also alleges that Nasheed does not conduct Parliament sessions as per the rules and that he encourages MPs to disrupt the parliamentary sessions.
Additionally, it asserts that Nasheed has suspended parliamentary sessions for extended periods and, upon resumption, has placed matters involving his political party, The Democrats, and his personal interests on the agenda. The resolution further said Nasheed suspended parliament sittings for extended periods and, upon resuming the sessions, placed matters involving his political party, The Democrats, and his personal interests on the agenda.
While MDP sought a no-confidence motion against the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker earlier in June, the cases were withdrawn ahead of the second round of the presidential election. Some members of the MDP parliamentary group said Nasheed's no-confidence motion was resubmitted to ensure government accountability as the MDP transitions to an opposition party when the new administration takes office in November.
Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed
