Nasheed recuses from chairing Parliament session

Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed has decided not to preside over the parliament sittings following the submission of a no-confidence motion.
A total of 54 members from the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) signed on the motion to remove Nasheed from his parliament position.
In a letter addressed to the Parliament Secretary General, Nasheed said that he was exercising his right to refrain from chairing the parliament sessions at a time when a no-confidence motion has been submitted against him.
“Until the matter [of no-confidence motion] is resolved, I excuse myself from chairing any parliament sittings. It is my right according to Article 44(a) of the parliament regulations,” Nasheed stated in the letter.
Although he refrained from chairing parliament sittings, Nasheed assured that he will head the other matters with regards to the parliament regulation.
“I assure that while my no-confidence motion is ongoing, you will not face any hindrances or interruptions from me to exercise your duties and obligations,” he added.
Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla has alleged that the ruling party's submission of a no-confidence motion against her, followed by the motion against Speaker Nasheed, was a deliberate strategy to throw the parliament into a deadlock. However, members of the ruling party's parliamentary group argue that the temporary halt in parliamentary proceedings was intended to delay the debate on the no-confidence motion against Eva.
Although the no-confidence motion against Eva was due to be scheduled on Sunday, June 11, the motion was not submitted to parliament for debate. However, parliament Secretary General had sent a letter addressed to the ruling party stating that the session cannot proceed. She reasoned that the no-confidence debate has not been scheduled since the standing committees have not been formed.
Meanwhile, MDP Parliamentary Group leader Mohamed Aslam claimed that the parliament regulations do not pave way for a deadlock.
According to the parliament regulations, in the case of a no-confidence motion against the Deputy Speaker, the Speaker will preside as the chair during the debate and if a no-confidence motion is debated against the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker will preside over the proceedings.
Aslam clarified that neither he nor the ruling party have any intention of causing a deadlock in parliament. He said that the regulations specify the procedure to be followed when both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are unable to chair the proceedings of the parliament.
“They are intervening in the formation of parliament’s standing committees to deliberately delay their dismissal,” Aslam said.
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