Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Opp party set to move impeachment motion against Prez Muizzu

Date:

Share post:

spot_img

Male, Jan 29: The main opposition MDP, which holds a majority in the Maldivian Parliament, is planning to submit a motion to impeach President Mohamed Muizzu even as three members of his cabinet were denied approval during a parliamentary vote on Monday, according to media reports here.
The development comes a day after clashes broke out in Parliament on Sunday between pro-government MPs and opposition lawmakers over differences over the approval of four members of the pro-China President’s cabinet. Muizzu, 45, defeated India-friendly incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the presidential runoff held in September last year.
“The MDP, in partnership with the Democrats, have gathered enough signatures for an impeachment motion. However, they have yet to submit it,” Sun.com reported, quoting a lawmaker from the MDP.
The decision to submit an impeachment motion was taken unanimously in the parliamentary group meeting of the MDP held on Monday, The Edition.mv reported.
“The Constitution, along with the Parliament’s standing orders, dictates that the president can be impeached with 56 votes,” the Sun.com added.
The Parliament had recently amended its standing orders to make it easier to submit an impeachment motion.
The Maldivian Parliament has a total of 80 members. The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has 45, followed by its ally The Democrats (DEM) with 13 members. Of the ruling coalition of PPM-PNC, the Progressive Party of the Maldives has 2 while the People’s National Congress has 13 members. There are three independents while the Jumhooree Party and the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) have two each. The gathering of signatures for an impeachment motion against the President comes a day after the PPM-PNC coalition, submitted no-confidence motions against Speaker Mohamed Aslam and Deputy Speaker Ahmed Saleem – both from MDP.
Earlier in the day, Parliament voted to deny approval to Housing Minister Ali Haidar Ahmed, Islamic Minister Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, and Attorney General Ahmed Usham, while Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed narrowly survived the same fate himself, Sun.com reported.
After the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and The Democrats’ parliamentary group decided to withhold parliamentary approval for four members of President Muizzu’s cabinet ahead of the voting on Sunday, the pro-government MPs from the ruling party Progressive Party of Maldives and People’s National Congress (PPM/PNC) coalition initiated a protest, obstructing the parliamentary sitting. Two MPs were injured during a brawl.
On November 20 last year President Muizzu made a formal request for the approval of his cabinet, two days after his administration took office. The Parliament had been scheduled to vote on the cabinet on December 18, but the original report by the Government Oversight Committee was rejected.. (AP)

 

spot_img

Related articles

Shillong’s tryst with destiny as India face Maldives at JN Stadium

By Our Reporter Shillong, March 18: The Indian senior men’s team will face Maldives in a FIFA international friendly...

Messi out of Argentina’s WC qualifiers due to adductor injury

Buenos Aires, March 18: Lionel Messi will miss Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil over the...

EPL delays use of new offside technology after VAR controversy

London, March 18: The Premier League has postponed the introduction of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) following a record...

New Zealand beat Pak to take 2-0 lead in T20Is

Dunedin (New Zealand), March 18: Tim Seifert blasted 45 from 22 balls and Finn Allen hit 38 from...