Malé, Maldives – Maldivian Speaker of Parliament and Former President Mohamed Nasheed has claimed that only 12 MP’s signed to impeach him.
Attempt to impeach Speaker Nasheed started following his claimed in a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) WhatsApp group that he is in possession of four images of President Ibrahim Solih having an extramarital sexual relationship with a woman which later Nasheed denied.
In yesterdays parliament sitting, Speaker Nasheed told that the impeachment attempt was lead by MP for Alifushi constituency Mohamed Rasheed Hussain (Bigey) and that only about 12 members had signed the petition.
Speaker Nasheed also reaffirmed that he had the parliaments majority support for him.
Nasheed’s remarks on the matter which had faded after the Maldivian Democratic Party’s congress in August came following opposition MP Ahmed Siyam accused Nasheed of being compromised following his younger brother Nazim Sattar’s being sentenced for same sex relations with a Bangladeshi man.
Criminal Court sentenced Nazim to three months and 26 days of house arrest instead or imprisonment after he plead guilty to homosexuality charges. He was charged with engaging in homosexuality following a leaked video showing him engaging in sexual acts with Bangladeshi national, MD Alamgir, to which he plead guilty during the first hearing.
Nasheed took to twitter to criticize the government following his brother’s arrest after the videos were leaked earlier this year which garnered further hate against Nasheed with many calling for his resignation as well as his cousin and Deputy Speaker, Eva Abdulla.
Opposition MP Ahmed Shiyam further accused Speaker Nasheed to have been compromised for arranging his younger brother Nazim to be sentenced to home arrest instead of imprisonment. MP Shiyam also told that Economic Minister Fayyaz Ismail had gotten 42 signatures to impeach Nasheed.
Following MP Shiyam’s comments, Speaker Nasheed told that he has never been compromised and he would not be in any position if he had been compromised.
