By Ibrahim Inaan/Maldives Republic
Male, November 13: Mohamed Nasheed on Monday resigned as the speaker of parliament as the legislative assembly prepared to vote on a no-confidence motion against him. His resignation letter was read out at the Parliament sitting, which began at 4 p.m. today.
Nasheed’s resignation comes after weeks of parliamentary deadlock, which forced the majority Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to file a constitutional case with the Supreme Court. On Thursday, the apex court ruled that the Parliament Secretariat had misinterpreted the Standing Orders of the 19th Parliament in limiting the presiding authority solely to Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla for the sitting scheduled to debate the impeachment motion against Nasheed.
In his resignation letter, Nasheed said: “Instead of seeking a solution through the courts, political issues should be resolved through dialogue inside and outside Parliament. Each side should respect the other and prioritise the interests of the country first.”
He stated that the MDP, the majority party in Parliament, is acting in a way that will permanently limit the powers of Parliament.
“It is unfortunate that the actions of the majority party in Parliament are heading in this direction. It is an injustice to the people. In my view, if I remain as Speaker for longer, the harm inflicted by the majority party on Parliament will intensify,” he said in the letter.
Nasheed, the Member of Parliament for the Machchangolhi Medhu constituency, also expressed hope that his resignation would help “restore stability and integrity within the democratic system.”
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