Shahid served 14-day notice to respond to no-confidence motion

Parliament on Sunday served notice to foreign minister Abdulla Shahid to respond to the no-confidence motion filed against him over the government's stand in delimitation of the maritime boundary between the Maldives and Chagos in the south. 

Following the decision of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) to delimit the disputed waters between the Maldives and Chagos, the opposition announced plans to submit no-confidence motions against Shahid and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The parliament had already accepted a no-confidence motion against Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath three days ago.

The no-confidence motion against Shahid was first moved by members of opposition parties in the parliament on Monday, but was withdrawn within hours. It was reintroduced on Thursday.

Deputy speaker Eva Abdulla, who presided over Monday's parliament sitting, announced that the mandatory 14-day notice under the constitution and parliament's rules of procedure was sent to Shahid on Sunday to respond to the motion.

The opposition has submitted a similar no-confidence motion against Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath, and have threatened to file a similar motion against President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.