The Secretary General of the Maldives parliament, Fathimath Niusha, has urged Speaker Mohamed Nasheed to ensure that the no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla proceeds without any obstacles.
During Tuesdays parliament session, the Secretary General publicly announced that the no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla could not proceed as Speaker Mohamed Nasheed had recused himself from presiding over the sessions.
This has raised concerns regarding the procedural process for carrying out the no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla. As per the regulations, the Speaker is expected to preside over such motions, leaving uncertainty about how the motion will proceed in his absence.
In a three-page letter, Secretary General Fathimath Niusha provided recommendations on how to proceed with the case of the no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla.
The reconstitution of the standing committees of the parliament, including the general committee, has created obstacles in placing Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla's case on the agenda. The General Committee plays a crucial role in determining the time for the debate and defense of the motion.
However, in her letter, SG Niusha said that she did not consider the delay in the work of the General Committee as a valid reason to postpone the no-confidence motion against the Deputy Speaker.
The letter requested Nasheed to include the change in the composition of members on the standing committees of the parliament in the agenda for the next session, regardless of the consensus among the parties.
Niusha recommended that if Speaker Nasheed declines to preside over the no-confidence motion against Eva, he should delegate the responsibility to another MP in accordance with the regulations of the parliament.
"... the Speaker to delegate chairing the session to another MP and for the parliament to allocate the number of members for debates on the no-confidence motion and the time allocated to each member in accordance with Article 205 (g) of the parliament regulation," Niusha said.
In her letter to Nasheed, Niusha proposed a third solution, which involved scheduling the debate on Eva's no-confidence motion during a general session to discuss and decide the appropriate course of action.
Niusha also highlighted that despite Nasheed's recusal from presiding over parliament sessions, he had assured in his letter that he would continue to carry out all parliamentary affairs and would not interfere with the responsibilities of the Secretary-General.
"... I request you to ensure that the resolution to remove North Galolhu MP Eva Abdulla from the post of Deputy Speaker can proceed within the parliamentary system," Niusha concluded in her letter.