Maldives, July 3 (newsin.asia) – Maldives opposition parties, on Monday, in a bid to seize control of the 85 member Parliament, said 45 legislators had submitted a no confidence motion against the Speaker of Parliament, Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed, demonstrating that the opposition coalition now commands a majority of seats in the legislature.
The Maldives Democratic Party (MDP), led by former President Mohamed Nasheed, in a statement said the loss of President Abdulla Yameen’s parliamentary majority will be a major blow to the President.
Maseeh, can be removed if 42 or more MPs vote for his impeachment, the MDP said.
A previous attempt to impeach Speaker Abdulla Masheeh in April failed when the number of signatures required for a no-trust motion against the speaker was raised to 50 percent of the house, up from one third.
On March 24, the leaders of four political parties in the Maldives – President of Progressive Party of the Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President of the Maldivian Democratic Party Mohamed Nasheed, Leader of Jumhooree Party Qasim Ibrahim and President of Adhaalath Party Imran Abdulla signed a coalition agreement.
The MDP said the agreement commits the four parties to reforms demanded by the public, following what the MDP alleges is widespread corruption facilitated by the government, the politicisation of independent institutions, mismanagement of the economy, brutalising of citizens and encroachment of individual liberties.
“We urge the independent institutions, the judiciary, security services, our international development partners to respect the wish of the people and the decision of the majority of the parliament,” the MDP said.