The controversial decision to bar journalists and civil society organizations from entering parliament galleries to observe the vote of no-confidence against parliament speaker Maseeh was made by security forces, said deputy speaker Moosa Manik.

MP Manik said neither lawmakers nor the parliament secretariat had made such a decision.

He continued to say that it falls within the Maldives National Defence Force’s (MNDF) mandate to dictate security measures in and parliamentary grounds, therefore has the authority to make the decision.

Manik had vindicated himself and the parliament secretariat, adding that the decision was likely made given the ‘opposition’s call to gather’ near the parliament grounds, and allowing members of the press and civil society may have made the sitting conducive to unrest.

The MNDF’s media official, Major Adnan Mohamed, said he did not wish to make a comment at the time.