Supreme Court Accepts MDP’s No-Confidence Motion Against Speaker
Photo: Majlis
The Supreme Court has acknowledged and approved the Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) case alleging the obstruction of the no-confidence motion aimed at the Speaker of the Parliament.
Anas Abdul Sattar, the MDP spokesperson, took to the X platform to affirm the court’s acceptance of the party’s petition, granting the go-ahead to pursue the case.
advertisement
advertisement
advertisement
MDPge faraathun Supreme Court ah hushahelhi massala, e court ah balaigane, massala hushahelhumuge huhdha dhaadhi dhenme aku e courtun dheefi.— Anas Abdul Sattar (@anasabdulsattar) October 30, 2023
The no-confidence motion had been scheduled for discussion both yesterday and today. However, proceedings were stalled due to the absence of Deputy Speaker Eva Abdullah, who is currently on sick leave.
During a press conference, Ahmed Abdullah Afeef, a member of the MDP Legal Committee, clarified that the party’s legal committee initiated the case in response to the Secretary-General’s view, which deemed the stalling of parliament as contradictory to the Constitution and the parliamentary rules.
Afeef articulated two key aspects highlighted in the case.
Firstly, the case demands a cessation of parliamentary deliberations until the matter of the no-confidence motion is duly addressed. Additionally, it asserts the necessity for Parliament to adhere to Article 44 of the Standing Orders, especially when the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are unable to assume their responsibilities.
Last week, the MDP expressed concerns about the implications of the president-elect’s swearing-in while a Speaker facing a no-confidence motion presides over the parliamentary proceedings. They emphasised their commitment to ensuring that the validity of the swearing-in ceremony remains legally unquestionable.
Initially, the MDP had withdrawn the no-confidence motion against Speaker Nasheed following the first round of the presidential election. However, it was subsequently reintroduced, backed by the signatures of 49 MDP Parliament group members.
