Parliament Session for Today Cancelled as Eva Remains on Sick Leave

Today’s session of the Parliament was canceled due to the continued absence of Deputy Speaker Eva Abdullah, who is currently on sick leave. 

The Parliament session cancellation today coincided with the expiration of a 14-day notice for a petition signed by 49 MDP MPs, which was initially intended to be addressed during the session scheduled for yesterday.

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Eva’s absence is due to her ongoing battle with dengue fever, a fact confirmed by her medical certificate and blood reports submitted to the Parliament.

Per the rules governing the Parliament, the Deputy Speaker holds a crucial role in presiding over a no-confidence motion. However, in the absence of a specific provision for such an eventuality, uncertainty looms over the course of action to be taken in Eva’s continued absence.

The MDP Parliamentary Group has cited parliamentary regulations indicating that the House proceedings can persist even in the absence of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. 

As per the Rules of Procedure of the Majlis, the responsibility of presiding over the session in the absence of the Deputy Speaker falls to the longest-serving consecutive member of Parliament, currently held by Vilufushi MP Hassan Afeef.

Adding to the complexity, the MDP has lodged a motion with the Supreme Court, seeking clarity on how to proceed with the no-confidence motion against Speaker Nasheed in the event of the Deputy Speaker’s inability to attend the session. 

The party is urging the court to determine that no other parliamentary business should proceed until a decision is reached on the no-confidence motion against the Speaker.

Members of the MDP parliamentary group assert that within the existing rules, there is no provision to halt parliamentary proceedings in the absence of both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker.