Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed has resigned from the post.
Nasheed's resignation comes while a parliamentary session to address a no-confidence motion against him was scheduled for 4:00 pm today. Nasheed communicated his decision to the Parliament Secretariat in advance of the session.
The no-confidence motion was initiated by the majority party, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on October 9, garnering support from 49 MDP MPs. Challenges arose as Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla's repeated absence led to the cancellation of multiple sessions intended for the motion. The MDP took legal action to expedite proceedings, resulting in a Supreme Court ruling last Thursday clarifying that only the Deputy Speaker need not preside over such motions. Despite the ruling, subsequent attempts to address the motion faced obstacles.
Beginning the latest attempt to hear the motion at the 4:00 pm session today, Maradhoo MP Ibrahim 'Mavota' Shareef, who was presiding over the session, confirmed Nasheed's resignation. In his resignation letter, Nasheed emphasized the need to resolve parliamentary issues through dialogue and not through the courts, expressing concern over the MDP's legal actions to limit parliamentary powers. He described MDP's actions as a great regret and injustice.
"....[issues can be resolved] by respecting each other and putting the country's interests first. Because there will be no cure for political issues in the courts," the letter read.
Nasheed further said his continued role as Speaker might escalate the damage caused to the Parliament by the majority party. He expressed hope that his resignation would help restore the country's stability and integrity within the democratic system.