A motion has been submitted to the Parliament, requesting the removal of Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla from her current position. This development comes as Eva actively participates in the establishment of a new political party called The Democrats, following her departure from the MDP, last week.The petition has garnered signatures from 50 Members of Parliament affiliated with the MDP.
After leaving the MDP due to internal conflicts, Eva addressed reporters last week, stating that she would not cling to the Deputy Speaker post at the expense of remaining in the MDP. Even if a motion were filed to oust her from the position, she expressed her determination not to resign.
According to Rule 205(a) of the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are required to resign from their offices when a resolution is passed by a majority of the members present and voting during a Parliament session. Given the current composition of 87 members in the Parliament, a minimum of 44 votes is necessary to remove Eva. The MDP, currently holding 55 seats, alone possesses the potential to meet this requirement.
Furthermore, the MDP Parliamentary Group members have prepared to launch an impeachment motion against the MDP President and Parliament Speaker, Mohamed Nasheed. Nasheed, who faced defeat in the party primary, has been leading an anti-government movement within the MDP, and there is speculation that The Democrats was established under his leadership. However, the formal submission of the impeachment motion has not yet taken place.
In the meantime, the opposition has initiated a no-confidence motion against Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath and Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid. Both cabinet members have been given a notice period of 14 days to respond to the motion.
