Nasheed's no-confidence motion set for Mon; MDP silent

Speaker Mohamed Nasheed has informed MPs that he intends to hold the vote of no confidence against himself and deputy speaker Eva Abdulla in the parliament session on Monday. With this, Nasheed's no-confidence motion is now on the agenda for Monday’s parliament sitting.

Nasheed expressed his desire to continue the no-confidence motion, in a message sent to a WhatsApp group of MPs after Saturday's presidential election results.

"I hope to ask for a no-confidence vote on Monday. With the whole parliamentary committee, to decide on the no-confidence vote. I intend to call the vote on Monday," Nasheed wrote.

Nasheed sent the message to the MPs' WhatsApp group Sunday morning. None of the MDP members who have always responded to Nasheed's messages have commented on the message yet, according to MPs that spoke to Atoll Times.

According to the agenda of Monday's session, which has been posted on the parliament's website, the no-confidence motion will be taken up. That was the only item on the agenda.

The ruling MDP, which has a clear majority in parliament, first moved the no-confidence motion of deputy speaker Eva Abdulla. The no-confidence motion against Nasheed was filed later. Both the cases remained pending because standing committees had not been reconstituted after after the changes in the parliamentary composition. 

The timing of the debate on no-confidence motions is determined by the general committee.

Provisional results show main opposition PPM-PNC's Dr Mohamed Muizz leading the polls with 46%, while President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih secured 39%. 

The Democrats candidate, Ilyas Labeeb, who defected from MDP with Nasheed and formed the youngest political party in the country, got about 15,000 votes in Saturday’s polls. The support of Nasheed and The Democrats will be crucial for President Solih in the second round.

Current representation of political parties in parliament: