Parliament has 'parked' the no-confidence motion against Speaker Mohamed Nasheed favoring two budget-related resolutions for Tuesday's sitting, October 31.
The agenda for Tuesday's sitting only includes resolutions regarding the supplementary budget and the 2024 state budget while Nasheed's no-confidence has been omitted. The agenda has already been forwarded to MPs.
The Speaker's no-confidence was put on agenda for both Sunday and Monday's sittings, however, the motion did not proceed owing to Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla's absence, who was on sick leave.
The no-confidence motion has been scheduled for Wednesday, November 1.
Parliament's Director of Communications Hassan Ziyau commented that the secretariat was notified of Eva's sick leave extension for Tuesday as well, which is why the no-confidence motion was pushed to Wednesday.
Ziyau also said that Tuesday is the last date to propose the state budget according to the Public Finance Act which is why it was put on the sitting's agenda. According to the Act, the state is required to submit and commence discussion on the budget before November 1.
While the budget resolutions have been submitted for Tuesday, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which holds parliament majority, do not believe any other parliamentary matters can proceed without first addressing Nasheed's no-confidence motion, and said it would not endorse the budget resolutions.
MDP has already submitted a constitutional lawsuit to the Supreme Court seeking remedy for the no-confidence motion's hold-up in the parliament. The ruling party's lawsuit stated that according to Article 205(d) of the parliament regulation, no other matter can be scheduled in the parliament sitting without attending to any no-confidence motion that has been submitted to the chamber.
The party's legal team believes the decision of parliament's Secretary General to cancel Nasheed's no-confidence motion was in breach of Articles 44 and 82 of the parliament regulation. According to MDP, Article 44 extends discretion to one out of the five longest-serving MPs to preside as the parliament sitting's chair in the case when neither the Speaker nor Deputy Speaker are able to preside as chair.
Though the motion was omitted, MDP urged to include it on Tuesday sitting's agenda.
MDP Parliamentary Group leader Mohamed Aslam sent a letter to Parliament Secretary General Fathimath Niusha requesting to amend the agenda by including Nasheed's no-confidence.
Aslam said the party made the request given that the notice period for Nasheed's no-confidence already expired, and parliament regulation dictates that motion should be put on agenda of the first sitting on a public work day.
The ruling party's PG leader said that the motion should be put on agenda for Tuesday based on the same statutory provision under which it was scheduled for Sunday's sitting.
Additionally, Aslam inquired the reason for cancellation of Monday's sitting. He asked to provide the statutory basis, as well as the person who requested, for the cancellation.
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