The parliament has on Monday passed the amendments forwarded by the general purpose committee stipulating that no-confidence motions against parliament speakers and their deputy can only be submitted with a minimum of 42 signatures. 

The amendment was passed with 46 votes in favour of it. Parliamentarians aligned with the opposition had abstained from the vote. 

Parliament’s general purpose committee had on Sunday passed that no-confidence motions against speakers and deputy speaker can only be submitted with the signatures of 42 lawmakers.

A committee meeting was held on Sunday evening, hours after opposition lawmakers resubmitted a no-confidence motion against speaker Abdulla Maseeh with 31 signatures.

At the committee, members of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and Jumhooree Party (JP) walked out on the vote, while MDP’s Mohamed Rasheed stayed and voted against it.

The parties that submitted the aforementioned motion against Maseeh said that the amendments were both ‘arbitrary and unlawful’.

READ MORE: Yameen faction's tactics demonstrate panic: Joint statment

Monday’s passing of the amendments also cancels the vote against MP Moosa Manik, the deputy speaker, submitted with 15 signatures.