The Parliament of the Maldives has postponed the no-confidence motion against Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid after failing to form new committees.
The no-confidence motion against Minister Shahid, initially scheduled for the June 6 sitting, has been removed from the agenda due to the Parliament's inability to form new committees following the resignation of 12 parliamentarians from the main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). In response, the MDP Parliamentary Group (PG) has presented its proposals for committee changes, considering that 12 of its lawmakers have become independent members. However, the Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Nasheed has chosen to facilitate the formation of new committees through negotiations and has been engaged in ongoing discussions with political parties and independent members.
The no-confidence motion against Attorney General (AG) Ibrahim Riffath was also delayed after the sitting was abruptly adjourned. The AG attended the sitting, during which Speaker Nasheed allotted two hours of debate on the no-confidence motion. However, the sitting was adjourned with 49 minutes remaining. Prior to the debate, Speaker Nasheed allowed a parliamentarian to submit a privileged motion over how the AG had undermined the dignity of the Parliament by initially responding to the no-confidence motion via a written statement. In addition, 48 members voted not to debate the motion while 20 members voted in favour. Therefore, Speaker Nasheed decided to move the motion to the Committee on Member’s Privileges and Ethics but also to initiate the debate. However, concerns raised by parliamentarians during the proceedings led to the adjournment of the sitting.
The no-confidence motions against AG Riffath and Minister Shahid were filed with support from the main opposition Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and People’s National Congress (PNC), as well as Jumhooree Party (JP), the Maldives National Party (MNP), and supporters of Speaker Nasheed. The motions were filed over their alleged failure to act in the best interest of the Maldives in the maritime boundary dispute with Mauritius. A motion of no-confidence against a minister can be submitted with the signatures of at least 10 parliamentarians and a majority of 43 parliamentarians are required to pass the motion.