Home minister's no-confidence motion fails

The People’s Majlis has decided in favour of Home Minister Imran Abdulla, during the no-confidence vote held on Monday.

Only 11 lawmakers voted to remove the minister while 53 were against.

The no-confidence motion against Imran was lodged by the opposition, with the signatures of 11 parliamentarians from former ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the People’s National Congress (PNC) as well as two independent members.

The motion notes that during a radio talk show at Dhivehi Raajjeyge Adu, the minister had given a different recount on the murder of former parliamentarian Dr. Afrasheem Ali, as well as revealed that documents regarding the ex-MP’s murder and journalist Ahmed Rilwan’s murder were fake, during the May Day protest.

He is to have claimed that the documents on evidence in connection to Rilwan’s murder were confiscated by the Maldives Police Service, while speaking at a parliamentary sitting on October 21.

While the minister was given the opportunity to respond to the motion at Monday’s sitting, he stressed that the documents he had during the 2015 May Day protest were valid.

The minister also came under fire for derogatory and sexist remarks made in connection to the safari sexual assault case, recently.

This led to public criticism, with some questioning his responsibility as a cabinet minister and claiming that women’s right cannot be ensured with him remaining at a ministerial position.

However, Imran had later apologized for the remarks, claiming that they were “misunderstood”.