Parliamentary sitting to remove Nazim as Deputy Speaker scheduled for Sunday
A no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker of the People’s Majlis Ahmed Nazim has been submitted with the signatures of 73 PNC members after he reportedly refused to resign voluntarily upon request. While Nazim has been granted a 14-day notice period to respond to the motion, which requires a simple majority of those present and voting for approval, some PNC members have accused him of clandestinely working to orchestrate a no-confidence vote against the President.
Deputy Speaker Nazim and President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. | President's Office
The sitting to decide on the removal of Dhiggaru constituency MP Ahmed Nazim from his position as Deputy Speaker of the People’s Majlis has been scheduled for this coming Sunday.
RaajjeMV understands that the Parliament Secretariat has now notified members that a sitting will be held this Sunday to decide on the no-confidence motion submitted against Nazim.
The ruling People's National Congress (PNC) parliamentary group passed a no-confidence motion against Nazim during a meeting on October 13, formally submitting the case to Parliament the following day. The motion, backed by the signatures of 73 PNC members, was filed on October 14, and Nazim has since been served the mandatory 14-day notice in accordance with parliamentary regulations.
According to the parliamentary rules of procedure, a sitting must be convened to decide on a matter on the first official working day following the expiration of the notice period. As the notice period issued to Nazim expires this Friday, the 29th, the next earliest working day will be this coming Sunday. To facilitate a decision on this matter, the current parliamentary session—which was originally scheduled to go on recess on the 14th of this month—has been extended until the end of the month.
In a letter sent to members, the Parliament Secretariat stated that the agenda for Sunday’s sitting will consist of the motion to remove Nazim from office, in accordance with parliamentary regulations. The sitting, which must be presided over by the Speaker of Parliament, will result in Nazim’s removal if the resolution is passed by a majority of members present and voting. Excluding Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla and Nazim himself, the PNC parliamentary group currently holds 72 seats. PNC members have already been instructed to remain in Male' on Sunday for the scheduled sitting.
A senior member of the PNC previously stated that the motion to dismiss Nazim was submitted after he refused to resign voluntarily upon request. Some PNC members allege that Nazim has been working in secret to defect from the party with 23 other members to initiate a no-confidence vote against the President.
