The Maldivian Democratic Party's (MDP) Parliamentary Group Leader and Hithadhoo North MP, Mohamed Aslam, has been elected as the new Parliament Speaker.
Aslam's election comes in the wake of his predecessor, Mohamed Nasheed's resignation on Monday amid a no-confidence motion.
Aslam was contested by minority leader and Central Henveiru MP Ali Azim for the Speaker post. Aslam received 53 votes in the vote, while Azim received 23 votes. With 77 members attending the session, 76 members participated in the vote.
With extensive political experience, Aslam, a seasoned MDP leader, has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, representing the southernmost Addu atoll. This is Aslam's fourth term in parliament. He was the running mate for the MDP presidential candidate, outgoing President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, in the recent presidential election.