Nasheed Requests Exclusion of Parliamentary Remuneration Following Relocation

Former Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed formally requested the exclusion of his parliamentary remuneration, yesterday.

Nasheed, presently holding the Central-Machchangolhi MP position, has relocated to Ghana, where he currently resides. His request, addressed to the current Speaker Mohamed Aslam in a letter sent on Sunday, seeks to discontinue his MP salary from April onwards until the conclusion of the current session.

Explaining his decision, Nasheed cited his commitment to his new role as the Secretary General of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), which requires his full-time attention. He highlighted that the Ghanaian parliament had already endorsed the CVF Secretariat’s resolution in February, formalizing his new responsibilities.

Having officially moved to Ghana on January 30th, Nasheed’s departure from Maldives followed his resignation as Speaker of the Parliament in December 2023. His resignation came after facing a second no-confidence vote initiated by members of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), marking his political retirement.

Despite his relocation, Nasheed attracted criticism for continuing to receive his parliamentary salary. The Parliament Secretariat noted that Nasheed had not formally informed them of his migration or requested leave, thus entitling him to receive three months’ remuneration.

During his tenure as Parliament Speaker, Nasheed faced tumultuous times, with allegations of intervening in attempts to remove him from office. These efforts culminated in his voluntary resignation following a Supreme Court ruling that barred intervention in parliamentary proceedings concerning no-confidence motions.

Nasheed’s political journey began in 1999 when he was elected as a parliament MP. He later founded the Maldivian Democratic Party in 2005 and achieved the nation’s first multi-party presidential victory in 2008.