Yameen loyalists plan no-confidence motion against Elections Commission
23 ޖެނުއަރީ 2019 | ބުދަ 15:34The Elections Commission has refused to register the People's National Congress
MPs Abdul Raheem Abdulla (l) and Ahmed Nihan
Former President Abdulla Yameen’s supporters within the People’s Majlis are planning a vote of no-confidence against the current composition of the Elections Commission.
RaajjeMV understands that these lawmakers intend to submit the motion once the Majlis reconvenes from the ongoing recess.
Several of them on Wednesday met with Majlis speaker Qasim Ibrahim, and expressed heavy discontent with recent actions of the commission.
Fonadhoo MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla, who has been involved in setting up a new party believed to be Yameen’s offshoot platform, in particular accused the commission of bias against them.
Raheem submitted 5,000 membership forms to officially register the People’s National Congress, a party that is reported to be Yameen’s and one to which his loyalists are to shift if he loses leadership of the Progressive Party of Maldives.
However, the commission has claimed that only 2,300 of the 5,000 forms were valid, while MP Raheem refuted this and said at a press conference on Wednesday that the commission is delaying registering their party out of ‘personal spite’.
Villimalé MP Ahmed Nihan said Elections Commission member Ismail Habeeb had said that the commission is deliberately trying to delay the party’s registration, although this is uncorroborated.
At the conference on Wednesday, panelists accepted the possibility that they may be submitting a no-confidence motion as well.
The Majlis will reconvene on February 7th.
