Committee rejects motion to issue a parliament order to produce CoNI statements

The vote attempted by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in the Parliament Committee on Oversight of the Government to issue a parliament order after the President’s Office failed on two occasions to produce the statements collected by the Commission of National Inquiry (CoNI) during their probe into the circumstances and legitimacy of the recent transfer of power, has been rejected by the committee.

Parliament had requested the President’s Office to share the documents on two previous occasions. President’s Office however, has failed to send the documents. The motion to issue an order to present the documents to the parliament was proposed by Kendhikulhudhoo MP Ahmed Easa. Kaashidhoo MP Abdullah Jabir seconded the motion. The 5 members from MDP voted in favour of the motion. Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Parliamentary Group Member Vili-Maafannu MP Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik voted against the motion while Thimarafushi MP Ahmed Shareef abstained.

Chair of the committee Thoddoo MP Ali Waheed said that 6 out of a total of 11 votes are needed for the motion to pass. The chair of the committee cannot participate in the vote. The committee was attended by 8 members and the 5 votes in favour were not enough for the motion to pass.

The committee is seeking for the CoNI statements of former President Mohamed Nasheed, Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Brigadier General Ahmed Nilam, former Defence Minister Thol’hath Ibrahim Kaleyfaanu, former Home Minister Hassan Afeef, former Police Commissioner Ahmed Faseeh, former MNDF Chief Major General (Rtd) Moosa Ali Jaleel, Brigadier (Rtd) Ibrahim Mohamed Didi, Colonel Mohamed Ziyad, and current MNDF Chief Major General Ahmed Shiyam.

Former Police Head of Intelligence Ahmed Hameed (MC Hameed) is currently being questioned by the committee and this government’s first and former Human Rights Minister Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed is also scheduled to attend the committee for questioning at 1:00 this afternoon.

The press and people who do not belong to the committee however have been barred from observing the meeting. In anticipation of unrest and on request by the committee chair, MNDF has tightened security around the committee meeting room.