The Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) has stated that the Parliament voted against the appointment of three Cabinet ministers to appease opposition leaders.
During the 2nd Sitting of the Special Session of 2024 held on January 29, Parliament approved 19 of the 22 Cabinet ministers. The Cabinet ministers that the Parliament rejected are Attorney General Ahmed Usham, Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, and Minister of Housing, Land and Urban Development Dr. Ali Haidar Ahmed. The members who voted against their appointments were members of MDP and The Democrats.
At a press conference, Ahmed Saleem, the PPM Parliamentary Group (PG) leader, said that the ministers were not rejected due to their incompetence, but to appease the leadership of opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). He said that they were the most qualified for the roles and noted that the opposition parties have not given a reason for rejecting their appointments.
As such, Saleem accused MDP of rejecting their appointments in accordance with the instructions of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and to appease opposition activists. Expressing concern over their actions, he said that Parliament members are required to serve the entire nation and not to obey the wishes of particular people.
Additionally, Saleem said they should respect the decision made by voters and allow the new administration of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to run the government. He added that Speaker Mohamed Aslam has refused to cooperate and discuss the incident in Parliament.