The Parliament has decided today to defer the vote on cabinet approval of the three reappointed ministers until the legislative reaches a decision on the motion regarding the matter submitted by Galolhu North MP Eva Abdulla.
The Parliament has decided today to defer the vote on cabinet approval of the three reappointed ministers until the legislative reaches a decision on the motion regarding the matter submitted by Galolhu North MP Eva Abdulla.
On January 29, the parliament voted against granting parliamentary approval to Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, Minister of Housing, Land and Urban Development Dr Ali Haidar and Attorney General Ahmed Usham.
However, the very same day, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu reappointed the three to their previous cabinet positions and subsequently resubmitted their names to parliament for approval.
Galolhu North MP Eva Abdulla, of The Democrats, submitted a motion to parliament on the matter. She claims that cabinet members who did not receive parliamentary approval cannot remain in cabinet positions, and that by reappointing them, the government had infringed upon the legal powers of the parliament.
Commencing today's sitting, Parliament Speaker Mohamed Aslam announced that completion of deliberation on Eva's motion would indicate the parliament's view on actions to take regarding the approval of reappointed cabinet members.
"The parliamentary approval of the three cabinet ministers is deferred until the parliament comes to a decision on the motion," Aslam announced.
Aslam also recollected how the parliament has acted previously in such instances.
In 2010, during former President Mohamed Nasheed's administration, then parliament decided to reject Attorney General Ahmed Ali Sawad. He was reappointed and his name sent to the parliament once again for approval. However, the parliament simply refused to grant him approval even in the second attempt. Subsequently, Nasheed ended up having to appoint a different individual to the post at the time.
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