Jumhooree Party (JP)'s leader Qasim Ibrahim refuted claims of his involvement in seeking a motion of no confidence against parliamentary speaker Abdulla Maseeh.
He denied the action in a tweet he posted, saying that neither him nor his party is taking part in such a motion.
Meanwhile, parliamentary group leader and key supporter of President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom's faction of the divided ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Ahmed Nihan, has heavily criticized both PPM's leader, former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, and JP's leader Qasim, accusing them of being the root of the motion.
“Maumoon is the root cause of the motion, which would be just a waste of time in the parliament,” said Nihan.
According Mihaaru's sources, the no confidence motion against the speaker was presented to the parliament by lawmakers of Maumoon's faction and they are backed by the opposition lawmakers as well.
Moreover, a no confidence motion is also being sought against Kaafu atoll Guraidhoo MP Ibrahim Riza for advocating in various court cases while holding a position in the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) as its parliamentary representative.
Parliament rules state that the signatures of minimum 15 members with reason must be submitted in writing to the parliament to call for a vote of no confidence against its speaker. The members must be notified within three days of submitting.
While the rules do not specify a specific number of signatures to call for a no-confidence motion against its JSC representative, Mihaaru understands that a number of lawmakers are nonetheless giving their signatures against Riza.
Should the motion of no confidence against Maseeh and Riza be approved in the parliament with the majority’s votes, the two lawmakers will be mandated to resign from their posts.
Following the public fall-out between the two Gayooms, PPM has divided into two factions with opposing loyalties. A number of parliamentarians in PPM recently joined with the elder Gayoom, posing the danger of the president losing power over the previously government-controlled parliament.
Sign In