Nasheed accuses MDP of ‘failure’ after SCourt judgement

Speaker Mohamed Nasheed accused the MDP of failing to execute its “plot” on Thursday, after the Supreme Court ruled that the Parliament’s decision to halt the no-confidence motion against him had been unlawful, and that the motion should not deter the inauguration of President-elect Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.

In a post on X, shortly after the Supreme Court delivered its judgement, Nasheed alleged that his former party had conspired to prevent Muizzu’s inauguration.

“I thank Almighty Allah that MDP’s plot to prevent the president-elect’s inauguration failed. The inauguration will go ahead smoothly,” he wrote.

Inthikhabee Raees ge huvaa kurevvumuge jalsa huttuvumah MDP in raavamundhiya reyvun fail vikamah takai Maaiy Allah ah hamdhukuran. Huvaakurevvumuge kankan dhaanee reethikoh

— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) November 9, 2023

The Supreme Court ruled that the delay in the no-confidence vote against Nasheed does not prevent the Parliament from holding a sitting to have the president-elect sworn into office.

The court noted that the Parliament is required under the Constitution to hold a sitting to take the president-elect sworn into office, and affirmed the Constitution’s superiority over the Parliament’s Standing Orders.

The MDP – which holds a supermajority at the Parliament with 56 MPs – had previously threatened that it will not endorse Muizzu’s oath of office if Nasheed chairs the sitting.

The MDP had originally submitted no-confidence motions against both Nasheed and Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla – Nasheed’s cousin and fellow Democrats member - earlier this year. The motion against Eva was submitted with the endorsement on 50 MPs in May, and the motion against Nasheed followed, with the endorsement of 54 MPs, in June.

But the MDP withdrew the motions in September, while the party was engaged in negotiations with the Democrats – the party to which both Nasheed and Eva belong – for the presidential runoff election.

The recent motion against Nasheed was submitted with the endorsement of 49 MPs on October 9. The motion was initially tabled for October 26, after the 14-day notice period. But Eva called in sick all through last week, thwarting the motion.

The MDP lodged a constitutional case with the Supreme Court over the issue on October 29. Both the Democrats and PPM-PNC intervened in the case, citing a vested interest in the case.

This week, Eva recused herself from chairing sitting citing the case submitted to the Supreme Court. And the Parliament decided against tabling the motion until the court issues its judgement.