Deputy Speaker and MP for Galolhu North constituency Eva Abdulla has informed the Parliament Secretariat that she is taking another sick leave today, owing to which the Secretariat has decided to once again cancel the parliamentary sitting on the no confidence motion against Speaker Mohamed Nasheed.
The no-confidence motion against Nasheed was submitted to parliament by the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) with 49 signatures.
The motion has been placed on the agenda consecutively since Sunday, which is when the 14 day notice on the motion expired. However, Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla, suffering from dengue, has been on sick leave since before that, subsequently causing the sittings to be cancelled.
The parliament secretariat has announced that Eva has informed them of her sick leave today, as she has the past three days, and so the secretariat is cancelling today's session. The secretariat maintains that according to Parliament Regulations, a sitting on a no-confidence motion against the Speaker can only be presided over by the Deputy Speaker.
Taking into account the delays in proceeding with the no-confidence motion, the Secretariat parked the motion and instead placed the 2024 budget and supplementary budget on the agenda for yesterday's sitting. The Secretariat decided on this course of action as yesterday was the last day for budget submittal as per the Public Finance Act.
However, MDP members obstructed the sitting, stating no parliamentary work can be continued without first attending to the no-confidence motion against the Speaker.
Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer also did not attend the parliament sitting, following Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath's advice that echoes MDP's stand. He has however submitted the budget to the parliament secretariat and published it on the Ministry's website.
Following obstacles in proceeding with the no-confidence motion, MDP has now submitted a constitutional case regarding the matter at the Supreme Court.
Sign In