Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and opposition coalition member Jumhooree Party (JP) are both gunning for the post of Parliament Speaker, should the current speaker be impeached.
Opposition lawmakers on Wednesday submitted a resolution with 51 signatories to the parliament, seeking to pass a motion of no confidence against Speaker Abdulla Maseeh.
Following the submission, PPM's deputy leader and Fonadhoo MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla announced in a tweet that he would contest for the seat should Maseeh be impeached.
Meanwhile, JP declared that it has commenced efforts to elect the party's founder and Maamigili MP Qasim Ibrahim as the speaker.
Speaking to the press after submitting the resolution, former police commissioner and current Kinbidhoo MP Abdulla Riyaz shared that the opposition coalition will hold a joint parliamentary group meeting later the same day to nominate a candidate for Parliament Speaker. The sit-down will also be attended by President-Elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
This is the opposition's third attempt to impeach the speaker, with 14 members of the ruling coalition also providing their signatures for the resolution. Riyaz, who is a member of JP, proclaimed that parliament sessions are at a halt over Maseeh's refusal to fulfill his mandate. He expressed hopes for an opposition victory in passing the motion of no confidence against Maseeh.
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