Parliament of the Maldives has decided to give Attorney General (AG) Ibrahim Riffath 30 minutes to address the no-confidence motion submitted against him.
The no-confidence motion against AG Riffath was submitted with the signatures of 13 parliamentarians pertaining to the maritime dispute between the Maldives and Mauritius. The General Purpose Committee decided to present 30 minutes to address the no-confidence motion.
The main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) stated that AG Riffath has advocated on behalf of the government in the maritime boundary dispute between the Maldives and Chagos Islands. As such, MDP stated it will not allow the no-confidence motion against him to succeed while the truth of the decision of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in the Chagos case is unclear to the public.
A no-confidence motion has also been submitted against Minister of Foreign Abdulla Shahid stating that he failed to act in the best interest of the Maldives in the maritime dispute. The motion was initially signed by 13 members of the Parliament and was withdrawn and refiled with the signatures of additional members.
A motion of no confidence on a minister can be submitted with the signatures of at least 10 parliamentarians and a majority of 43 parliamentarians are required to pass a no-confidence motion against a minister.