The Parliamentary Group of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) declares support for Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla in the no-confidence motion launched against him in the Parliament of the Maldives.
A no-confidence motion was initiated against Home Minister Imran by the opposition coalition, following insensitive comments made by the minister regarding a rape case which is under investigation. The motion was signed by 11 parliamentarians, surpassing the minimum of 10 signatures needed to launch a no-confidence motion against a minister.
However, during a meeting held by the MDP PG on November 22, the party has declared its support for the Home Minister and passed the decision to oppose the no-confidence motion.
Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed had earlier stated the no-confidence motion against Home Minister Imran would be placed on the agenda after proceedings on the 2021 State Budget are over. Therefore, the motion is expected to be on the parliamentary agenda this week.
Home Minister Imran has been heavily criticised for comments made during a radio programme regarding the rape of a Kenyan woman inside a safari near Hulhumale’. The minister described the case as petty and trivial, remarking it is not as serious as it was initially claimed to be. He said the case cannot even be classified as a rape and the incident was so trivial it could happen anywhere.
While the minister played down the seriousness of the incident, the case is still under investigation by Maldives Police Service (MPS).