Economic Minister Fayyaz Ismail has responded to Parliament Speaker, Mohamed Nasheed’s call for him to step aside from his responsibilities as minister.
Nasheed has been attempting to submit a no confidence motion against Fayyaz. Although 10 signatures are necessary to submit the motion at the parliament, 44 votes are needed in its favor to dismiss Fayyaz. However, it is unlikely that Nasheed would be able to garner enough support to oust Fayyaz.
In his most recent move against Fayyaz, Nasheed sent a letter to MDP’s Chairperson, Hassan Latheef stating that he believes it is best for Fayyaz to step aside from his position, and that he believes the party may suffer dire consequencces if Fayyaz remains in the position. One of the characteristics that is not normally attributed to MDP officials is corruption, and all allegations against Fayyaz must be investigated, Nasheed had said in his letter.
In an interview given to AVAS on Wednesday, Fayyaz said he was appointed to the cabinet by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, and that he would only resign from the cabinet if the president requests him to do so. Adding that he spoke to President Solih even after Nasheed’s letter was sent to MDP’s Chairperson, Fayyaz said the president has not asked him or hinted for him to resign or step aside from his responsibilities at any point. He further said although Nasheed’s accusations against him are baseless, it is entirely fine to confirm the truth behind the allegations. He would not obstruct any such investigation, and instead encourages it, he added.
“For this reason, I do not have any intention of resigning. I will act according to the president’s orders, but I see no harm in investigating the allegations raised,” he said.
