No-confidence motion on Maseeh submitted, backed by 31 MPs

A no-confidence motion on Speaker of People’s Majlis, Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed has been submitted once more with the signature of 31 lawmakers.

Maseeh escaped a no-confidence motion against on March 27 when 48 lawmakers voted to back him. None of the 35 opposition lawmakers had not participated in the voting that day.

13 lawmakers either walked out or was escorted out by security officials after being named. And 21 more lawmakers had walked out.

Vilimale’ MP Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik, leader of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) parliamentary group, announced in a tweet this Sunday that a no-confidence motion against Maseeh has been submitted to People’s Majlis once more.

31 Memabrunge Soyaa eku Majlis Raees Maseeh ge Ithubaaru neiy kamah Anekkaa Ves #BuffulhiCoaltion in Majlis ah husha halhaifi.

— Ahmed Nihan (@ahmed_nihan) April 9, 2017

This is the third time for a no-confidence motion to be filed against Maseeh. The firstwas on March 8, 2016 when a no-confidence motion was submitted with the signature of 19 lawmakers.

The second time had been on March 8, 2017 when a no-confidence motion was submitted by Dhiggaru MP Ahmed Farish Maumoon with the signature of 26 lawmakers.

Following the defeat from the vote on March 27, MP Farish said any more Majlis sittings presided over Maseeh would be void.

Meanwhile, opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s parliamentary group leader, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih vowed to re-submit a no-confidence motion against Maseeh with the support of more lawmakers.

“Like we said before, we entered Majlis today hopeful and confident we would win the vote. This isn’t the end of our effort. This is just a start. We will submit a no-confidence motion against the Speaker of Majlis, together, very soon. We will, god willing, win too,” said MP Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, speaking to press outside Majlis after the vote.