President Waheed was not sworn-in in a hurry: Shahid

Speaker of Parliament Abdullah Shahid has said that President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik was not sworn-in in a hurry.

Speaking at a press conference held after the Parliament rejected the no-confidence motion submitted against him by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Shahid said that the swearing-in ceremony for President Waheed was conducted according to the law, and not in a hurry.

“There was no rush. I took action as required by the law following the resignation of a President,” Shahid said.

He said that the Constitutions clearly states that a Parliament meeting is not necessary for the Vice President to be sworn-in as President, rather, the procedure is complete when he takes his oath in the presence of the Chief Justice.

“Given the circumstances that day, it would have not been possible to hold a Parliament meeting. The swearing-in ceremony was conducted according to the laws and as defined in the constitution,” Shahid said.

Speaking for the first time to the media on the change of government on 7 February, Shahid said that former President Nasheed called him more than once on that day, and that he spoke with him, but did not advise him to resign.

He said that Nasheed requested him to go to the MNDF Headquarters, however, he did not comply after considering the situation in that region.

“Nasheed asked me if I can be present at the MNDF Headquarters. I told him that given the situation, I would rather not go there but that I will be available to the President to contact via phone. He called me several times after that as well,” Shahid said.

Shahid said that he gave advice to President Nasheed on 7 February, but that he does not wish to share this information with the media.