Nazim Resigns Ahead of Impeachment Vote

Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim has resigned from his position ahead of a planned impeachment vote in the Parliament, bringing an end to efforts by the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) to remove him from office.

During today’s parliamentary sitting, Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla announced that Nazim had submitted his resignation. The Speaker subsequently declared that the impeachment matter had been resolved and concluded the session. He also announced that Parliament would reconvene later in the day, with the sitting expected to focus on the election of a new Deputy Speaker.

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The move comes after the PNC initiated proceedings to remove Nazim, accusing him of acting on the basis of a particular political ideology and undermining parliamentary interests.

In a resolution supporting the no-confidence motion, the ruling party alleged that Nazim had used his influence to create division within Parliament and had relied on a particular political party in a manner detrimental to the institution’s interests.

According to media reports, Nazim left the country after PNC lawmakers began collecting signatures for the petition seeking his removal.

Nazim has faced a series of setbacks within both Parliament and the ruling party in recent months. Last month, he was removed from two influential parliamentary committees — the Security Services Committee, commonly known as the “241 Committee”, and the Public Finance Committee — before being reassigned to the Environment Committee.

He was also removed from the PNC parliamentary group’s official WhatsApp platform, which is administered by President Mohamed Muizzu and serves as the party’s primary communication channel for Members of Parliament.

Nazim is regarded as one of the most experienced members of the current Parliament. He previously served as Deputy Speaker between 2009 and 2015 and was closely associated with former President Abdulla Yameen. He also held senior positions within the People’s Alliance, a political party formerly led by Yameen.

In 2015, Nazim was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Later that year, he sought political asylum in the United Kingdom after travelling to Singapore for medical treatment. He returned to the Maldives in 2018 following a change of government and after the Supreme Court overturned his conviction.