Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Aslam and Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ahmed Saleem have received notices of no-confidence motions filed by the ruling PPM-PNC coalition.
The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the People's National Congress (PNC), constituting the ruling coalition, initiated the motions amid parliamentary discord sparked by the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party's (MDP) decision to withhold approval for certain cabinet ministers.
The ruling coalition made the decision to submit the no confidence motion against Aslam and Saleem following the MDP's release of a whip line to refuse parliamentary approval to some cabinet ministers. The motion also accuses the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of working in the interests of their party when presiding over the cabinet approval sittings, in contradiction to their responsibilities as outlined in the laws and Constitution. The motion was submitted to Parliament on January 28 and was supported by 23 parliamentarians, including members from the PPM/PNC coalition, Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), and private members.
The no-confidence motion against both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker was moved by the ruling coalition, reflecting ongoing tensions and disagreements within the parliamentary proceedings.