Parliament Postpones Session to Elect New Deputy Speaker Until Tomorrow

The parliamentary session scheduled to elect a new Deputy Speaker has been postponed until tomorrow, following the resignation of Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim ahead of a planned no-confidence vote.

A no-confidence motion against Nazim had been due to be debated during this morning’s sitting of Parliament. However, the position became vacant after he submitted his resignation shortly before the session began.

During the morning sitting, the Speaker announced that Parliament would reconvene at 1 p.m. today. However, the parliamentary administration later issued a notice stating that the next sitting would instead take place tomorrow.

The agenda for the postponed session has not yet been announced. Nevertheless, a senior member of the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), which holds a parliamentary supermajority, said a sitting would be held to elect a new Deputy Speaker.

The PNC had sought Nazim’s removal, alleging that he had acted in a manner contrary to the interests of Parliament and had allowed political considerations to influence his conduct.

In a statement posted on X after submitting his resignation, Nazim rejected the allegations, describing them as unfounded and unsupported by evidence. The veteran parliamentarian said that, after considering the broader implications of the dispute, he had decided to step down from the position of Deputy Speaker.