No issue with Nasheed's no-confidence motion, says Usham
Usham, who had served as the deputy attorney general, said the no-confidence motion against the speaker is different from a regular resolution.
There is no obstacle to the parliament proceeding with the no-confidence motion filed against speaker Mohamed Nasheed by MDP, despite points of order raised by MPs representing Nasheed's Democrats to block the motion citing incomplete details as per the rules of procedure of the parliament, Villimale MP Ahmed Usham said Sunday.
Parliament, chaired by speaker Mohamed Nasheed's Democrats MP Hassan Afeef, on Sunday ruled that MDP filed the no-confidence motion against Nasheed in violation of the parliament's rules of procedure and asked the party to resubmit the motion.
As the sitting began, chaired by Vilufushi MP Afeef, who represents the Democrats to which Nasheed belongs, Democrats MPs began to raise points of order, with the intent to prevent the motion from being moved. They cited the reason that the resolution was not in accordance with the rules of procedure.
Democrats parliamentary group leader, Central Henveiru MP Ali Azim said the motion was submitted without the details it should have. Therefore, the motion cannot be submitted to parliament and the opportunity will not be given, he repeatedly said.
In response, Usham also raised a point of order and said:
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Article 167 of the rules of procedure of the parliament states that a resolution may be moved to express the views of the parliament
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In addition, the same rule applies to a resolution moved under that section as to the bill
“So, if a motion of no confidence in the speaker of parliament is treated as per Article 167, it has to be read first, it has to be debated, it has to go to committee stage, the committee has to submit its report to the floor and then decide on it,” Usham, who is expected to be the attorney general in the new government, said.
Usham, who had served as the deputy attorney general, said the no-confidence motion against the speaker is different from a regular resolution.
“Therefore, I do not believe that there is any reason why the motion should not be taken forward within the rules of procedure,” he said.
In a constitutional petition filed by the MDP on the deadlock on the no-confidence motion against speaker Mohamed Nasheed, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the motion could proceed even in the absence of deputy speaker Eva Abdulla.
The ruling declared the parliamentary counsel general and secretary general's interpretation of the rules of procedure that only the deputy speaker could chair the sitting where the no-confidence motion against the speaker is tabled as unconstitutional.
