Lawmakers aligned with the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives’ (PPM) parliamentary group have been asked to refrain from travel ahead of the no-confidence vote against deputy speaker Moosa Manik. 

The party’s parliamentary group leader Ahmed Nihan conveyed this to his colleagues, according to a leaked Viber thread. 

The vote is scheduled for next Tuesday, and both MP Manik and other parliamentarians were informed of it last week. 

The motion was filed on March 22, with the backing of 15 MPs.

Manik responded to the motion by saying that the mandate of the deputy speaker is simply to carry out duties allocated to him by the speaker, adding that the speaker has never asked him to act unlawfully. 

He was confident that vote would be in his favour, and has the support of the ruling coalition.