MDP Files Case in Supreme Court Over Speaker’s Impeachment Proceedings

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), today, filed a case in the Supreme Court, questioning the validity of the impeachment process as it pertains to who can preside over such proceedings.

The essence of the case revolves around the argument that, according to the existing constitutional framework, only the Deputy Speaker of Parliament is constitutionally authorised to oversee an impeachment session. 

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The scheduled impeachment motion, today, faced a setback as the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Eva Abdullah, cited illness and was unable to preside over today’s session. 

Fathimath Niusha, the Secretary General of the Parliament, clarified that due to a specific inclusion in the Rules of Procedure, the matter could not proceed as initially planned.

Niusha highlighted that while the Rules of Procedure determines the individual responsible for presiding over House sessions, an additional chapter within the regulations, designates the Vice-Speaker to lead a session concerning the removal of the Speaker from office.

The case filed by the MDP requests the Supreme Court to address the alleged discrepancy between the established rules and the current situation, asserting that the constitutional process must be upheld in the impeachment proceedings against the Speaker of the Parliament.