Eva, Afeef violated MPs' privileges, parliament committee rules
MP Hassan Afeef ruled that MDP filed the no-confidence motion against Nasheed in violation of the parliament's rules of procedure.
The privileges and ethics committee of parliament on Sunday ruled that deputy speaker Eva Abdulla and Vilufushi MP Hassan Afeef have violated their privileges. The committee also ruled that no Democrats, including Eva and Afeef, will be able to preside over the sitting where the no-confidence against speaker Mohamed Nasheed has been tabled.
The decision was taken by a unanimous vote of seven members of the privileges and ethics committee at an emergency session of the committee.
Two motions were submitted and approved at the meeting.
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Eva and Afeef have violated the privileges of the whole parliament; the case was moved by MDP's parliamentary group leader, Hithadhoo North MP Mohamed Aslam
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Dhiggaru MP Ikram Hassan moved that Afeef and Eva cannot preside over the sitting where the no-confidence motion against Nasheed is tabled; the motion was seconded by Thinadhoo South MDP MP Abdulla Saneef
The ethics committee passed the second motion and referred it to the general committee of the parliament.
The committee also decided to recommend to the general committee to take a decision on the motion as soon as possible.
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 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.
