As per the media reports on Monday, the leading opposition party MDP, which holds the majority in the Maldivian Parliament, plans to submit an impeachment motion against President Mohamed Muizzu. This decision came after a heated clash on Sunday between pro-government MPs and opposition lawmakers in Parliament regarding the approval of four members of the pro-China President's cabinet.
Ruckus breaks out in Parliament, ruling MPs irritate Speaker with trumpets, engage in physical fight.
A ruckus broke out inside the premises of the Maldivian Parliament ahead of a crucial vote to determine the cabinet of incumbent pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu. pic.twitter.com/4VfSTgxhl0— Ram Gopal Jat (@Ramgjat) January 28, 2024
Read also: Tense Session In Maldives Parliament Leads To Physical Altercation
As per a report in The Hindu, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Democrats' parliamentary group have decided to hold off on granting parliamentary approval to four members of President Muizzu's cabinet until a vote is taken. This move has caused a stir among pro-government MPs from the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives and the People's National Congress (PPM/PNC) coalition, who have disrupted the parliamentary session in protest over the issue.
According to a report, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Democrats have collected enough signatures for an impeachment motion, but they have not yet submitted it. The decision to submit the motion was unanimously approved at the MDP's parliamentary group meeting on Monday, as reported by The Edition.mv
Mr Muizzu, aged 45, defeated the incumbent, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who had pro-India leanings, in the presidential runoff held in September last year. Shortly after taking office as President of the Maldives on November 17, Mr Muizzu formally requested that India withdraw 88 military personnel from his country by March 15, claiming that the Maldivians had already given him a "strong mandate" to make this request to New Delhi.
The parliament, which has 87 members, recently amended its standing orders to make it easier to file an impeachment motion. The MDP and Democrats have 56 MPs combined; 43 from the MDP and 13 from the Democrats.
"The Constitution, along with the Parliament's standing orders, dictates that the President can be impeached with 56 votes," according to a report in the Sun.
The day after the PPM-PNC coalition submitted no-confidence motions against Speaker Mohamed Aslam and Deputy Speaker Ahmed Saleem, both MDP members, signatures were gathered for an impeachment motion against the President.
(Inputs from agencies)
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