Aslam elected new parliament speaker

The MDP Parliamentary Group Leader, Hithadhoo North MP Mohammed Aslam, has been elected as the Speaker of the Parliament.

A sitting of the Parliament was convened Monday evening to elect an MP to the post after Mohamed Nasheed resigned from the post on Monday amid a deadlock on a no-confidence motion against him. 

Aslam won the post of the new Speaker of Parliament against The Democrats' Central Henveiru MP Ali Azim. In a secret ballot among the MPs present at the sitting:

Aslam has been a member of parliament since 2005, without interruption. He has also contested the presidential election as a running mate of MDP presidential candidate President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih.

This is also the first time that a person from Addu has been appointed as the Speaker of the Parliament.

Aslam also presided over Monday’s sitting after the vote. In his brief speech, he thanked Nasheed for his work. He also thanked the members for electing him to the post by such a large majority.

Aslam said he would continue to work with all the members of the Parliament.

Nasheed resigned as the Speaker of the Parliament after his efforts to prevent the MDP from proceeding with the no-confidence motion against him failed.