- Sunday, November 24, 2024
The Maldivian parliament recently amended its standing orders to make submission of an impeachment motion easier.
By: Shubham Ghosh
AMID a diplomatic row with India, the main opposition party of the Maldives is set to file an impeachment motion against president Mohamed Muizzu, the island-nation’s local media reported on Monday (29).
A parliamentarian of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) told the country’s Sun.mv on Monday afternoon that his party, along with Democrats, have accumulated enough signatures to file the motion. The opposition party, which holds a majority in the parliament, was yet to submit in the parliament.
The Maldivian parliament recently amended its standing orders to make submission of an impeachment motion easier. The MDP and the Democrats together have 56 parliamentarians. The Maldives’ constitution, along with the parliament’s standing orders, says that the president can be impeached with 56 votes, the SunOnline International said.
Read: Will India pull out troops from Maldives by March 15? No order yet, says navy chief
The development comes a day after violence erupted in the archipelago’s parliament as government parliamentarians from pro-government parties such as People’s National Congress, led by Muizzu, and Progressive Party of Maldives disrupted proceedings and confronted the speakers.
Read: Maldives’ Muizzu loses key poll battle to pro-India opposition
According to Adhahdhu, a Maldives-based news portal, 34 members, comprising representatives from both the MDP and Democrats, have expressed support for the motion to impeach Muizzu.
The development also comes at a time when Muizzu, who took office last November, adopted a hardline stance against India, one of the Maldives’ close allies in South Asia, and exhibiting a tilt towards China, infuriating the opposition.
Recently, both the MDP and Democrats came out in support of New Delhi after the Muizzu government said a Chinese ship, equipped to carry researches and surveillance, would dock at a port in the country.
