Riffath's no-confidence motion: he requests an audience in parliament

Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath has requested an audience with the People's Majlis to respond to the no-confidence motion set against him.

The no-confidence motion against Riffath was submitted to the Majlis on 11 May 2023, with the signatures of 13 members. The debate on the issue was scheduled for the parliament sitting of Wednesday, 31 May 2023.

The main basis for the no-confidence vote against him, according to the opposition was that he acted in a way that is detrimental to Maldives' interests in the Maldives-Mauritius maritime boundary dispute.

The General Committee of the Majlis decided to give Riffath 30 minutes to appeal his case. As such, it was decided to give him 10 minutes before the debate, 10 minutes during the debate and 10 minutes after the debate.

However, during the sitting on Wednesday, AG Riffath responded to the parliament with a letter. This led to a member of parliament to raise a point of order. Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed made the decision to accept the point of order and not to proceed with the matter during Wednesday's hearing.

With this, AG Riffath sent a letter addressed to the Speaker of parliament on Thursday. In his letter, the Attorney General noted that he had sent a written defense against the no-confidence motion because the main issue on which the case is based on is a matter of many facts and legal points.

He stated that another reason for submitting a written reply was to clarify that the issue on which his no-confidence motion is based was a misrepresentation of the truth about his conduct in the discharge of his duty to represent the state.

Noting that since he was not given the opportunity to respond in writing at Wednesday's hearing, he requested an audience with the People's Majlis to respond to the no-confidence motion set against him, as per the Constitution.