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Parliament committee amends speaker vote regulation to opposition uproar

Fathmath Shaahunaz
10 April 2017, MVT 11:14
Kelaa MP Ali Arif (R), chair of the parliamentary General Purpose Committee, speaks at press conference. FILE PHOTO/MIHAARU
Fathmath Shaahunaz
10 April 2017, MVT 11:14

The General Purpose Committee of the parliament on Sunday passed an amendment to parliament regulations that a motion of no confidence may only be submitted against the speaker and deputy speaker with a minimum of 42 signatures.

The amendment comes amidst the motions of no confidence submitted against Speaker Abdulla Maseeh and Deputy Speaker Moosa Manik by the opposition coalition.

The current parliament regulations mandate only a minimum of 15 signatures from lawmakers to submit a no confidence motion against the speaker and deputy speaker.

The general committee’s chair, Kelaa MP Ali Arif of ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), declared that should the amendment be passed on the parliament floor, it would automatically throw out the motions of no confidence currently submitted to the parliament against the speaker and deputy speaker by opposition lawmakers.

“Because the committee is bringing this amendment to regulations such that it applies to current submissions as well,” he explained.

PPM PG leader Ahmed Nihan (L) speaks with parliament speaker Abdulla Maseeh. MIHAARU FILE PHOTO

Speaking at a press conference held by ruling party PPM, its parliamentary group leader Ahmed Nihan proclaimed that the opposition means to incite discord and dispute in the nation by continuously submitting motions of no confidence against the parliamentary speaker. He vowed that all possible amendments to stop the opposition in their efforts will be made to parliament regulations, describing it as administering a vaccine to battle a disease.

He also declared that all future parliament votes regarding the speaker will be taken via roll call.

Meanwhile, the parliamentary general committee’s amendment has led to opposition uproar as lawmakers declared that the sudden change to regulations in the middle of the no confidence motions submitted against the speaker and deputy speaker is ridiculous.

In a press conference late Sunday, main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s parliamentary group leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared that the amendment is a clear violation of the Constitution and that it cannot be put on the debate agenda for vote. Pointing out that the Constitution states that motions of no confidence against the speaker and deputy speaker can be passed with a majority of votes in favour from lawmakers present at those particular sittings, he said that the current amendments go beyond that of authoritarian countries.

Lawmakers of the opposition coalition speak at press conference regarding the amendment to parliament regulation calling for minimum 42 votes to submit motion of no confidence against parliament speaker and deputy speaker. PHOTO: HUSSAIN WAHEED/MIHAARU

Jumhoory Party’s deputy leader, Kinbidhoo MP Abdulla Riyaz, said that raising the number of signatures to 42 to submit a motion of no confidence against the speaker, while parliament regulations state that only 29 signatures are required for the same vote against the president of the nation, is absurd. Claiming that there are members of the ruling party who also wish to remove Speaker Maseeh from position, he asserted that the committee passed the amendment to obstruct said members from voting against Maseeh.

Meanwhile, the debate on the motion of no confidence against Deputy Speaker Moosa Manik, which was submitted with 15 signatures, is scheduled for this Tuesday. Opposition lawmakers also submitted a third motion of no confidence against Speaker Abdulla Maseeh on Sunday with 31 signatures.

The previous no confidence motion against Speaker Maseeh was submitted with 26 signatures. The debate took place on March 27 and the motion was denied by government aligned lawmakers. The opposition had walked out of the parliament chamber, boycotting the vote in the wake of a dispute that broke out after lawmakers of the ruling coalition decided to take a roll call vote over alleged defects in the parliament electronic voting system.

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