The main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has filed a case at the Supreme Court to proceed with the no-confidence motion against Speaker Mohamed Nasheed.
MDP submitted the no-confidence motion to the Parliament against Speaker Nasheed with 49 signatures and the motion was placed on the agenda for October 29. However, the sitting was cancelled when Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla took sick leave after submitting a medical certificate and blood report.
The Parliamentary Group (PG) of MDP stated that it has now filed a case at the Supreme Court, adding that the parliamentary regulations dictate that if the Speaker or Deputy Speaker is unable to preside over a sitting, a member appointed by the Speaker should take charge. However, the Secretary General of Parliament stated that the regulations specify that only the Deputy Speaker can preside over a no-confidence motion against the Speaker, and there are no explicit provisions for situations where the Deputy Speaker is unavailable for this duty.
The MDP PG has highlighted the importance of proceeding with the no-confidence motion against the Speaker, stating that the parliamentary regulations do not stipulate that parliamentary proceedings should come to a halt in the absence of both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. The MDP PG has issued a three-line whip to vote to remove Speaker Nasheed and stated that they would not allow any further work in Parliament without taking the matter forward.