53 MPs have signed a petition to remove Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) President and former President Mohammed Nasheed from the post of the Speaker of the Parliament.
A no-confidence motion against the Speaker or Vice-Speaker can be passed by a two-thirds majority. That is 44 out of 87 votes.
Addu Meedhoo MP Rozaina Adam said she has already received 53 signatures to remove Nasheed.
In addition to the MDP members, the no-confidence motion was also signed by Meedhoo MP Ahmed Shiyam (Sun Shiyam) and Nolhivaram MP Mohammed Nasheed Abdullah.
The opposition PPP-PNC members have refused to sign the no-confidence motion against Nasheed. The members said they did not see any reason to remove Nasheed from office.
The motion of no confidence in President Nasheed was passed by the MDP Parliamentary Group at its meeting today. The decision was taken after things went to the point where they could not continue with Nasheed as the Speaker of Parliament according to PG leader MP Aslam.
The no-confidence motion in the Deputy-Speaker of Parliament, Eva Abdullah , has also been moved.
This comes while MDP had raised its concerns over how Speaker Nasheed is running the parliament. MDP parliamentary group media coordinator, MP Mohammed Abdullah Shafeeq expressed MDP’s concerns over the behaviour of President Nasheed to local media at a press conference held yesterday at the parliament building.
Answering the question, MP Shafeeq said the Speaker was also the President of MDP and that he may not be removed from office suddenly, but the MDP parliamentary group leader, Hithadhoo North MP Mohammed Aslam, is thinking deeply about the matter as such incidents are repeated.
“We have respect for him as the party president. We are trying to find a solution by talking to him. That is the only reason,” Shafeeq said.
Recently, members supporting President Nasheed have left the MDP and started working to form a separate political party.
