No-confidence motion against Speaker presented to parliament

A motion of no confidence has been presented to parliament against Speaker of the Parliament Abdulla Shahid.

The motion was signed by 15 MPs from the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Jumhoory Party (JP), Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) and Adhaalath Party. Parliament secretariat has acknowledged the motion.

The motion was lead by PPM MP Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik. MP Nihan told Sun today the motion was based on the claim that the Speaker’s conduct was unlawful. He said the Speaker has tried to instigate public unrest, discredit the parliament and ridicule the rulings of the Supreme Court.

He said the Speaker is trying to hide a MP, who has criminal charges against him, behind the privileges of the parliament, which he described as a disgrace to the status of the parliament as an institution.

“Abdulla Shahid’s actions are to achieve things through his fists. He is providing refuge to a man with criminal charges inside parliament. He is feeding him and they're playing cards. He is being allowed to use the parliament building, with the knowledge of the Speaker, in violation of the constitution and the laws. This will become a problem when the citizen convicted tomorrow runs inside these four walls,” MP Nihan said.