People's Majlis passes no-confidence motion against Communications Minister Maleeh
Maleeh maintains MDP MPs raised false allegations against him of failing to perform his duties as minister
Maleeh was appointed Minister of Communications under a cabinet slot reserved for ruling-coalition contributor Jumhooree Party
The motion of no-confidence submitted against the Minister of Communications, Science and Technology Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal has passed on the floor of the People's Majlis on Monday.
59 MPs in attendance had voted in favor of the no-confidence motion against Maleeh, and one vote had been cast against it. Four members of parliament present at Monday's sitting abstained from voting.
Maleeh, who was appointed to cabinet under a slot dedicated to Jumhooree Party (JP) from within the coalition, had received only one vote in his favor, which was from Jumhooree Party MP for the Thimarafushi constituency Abdulla Riyaz. Of all Jumhooree Party's members at the sitting, only MP Abdulla Riyaz had deigned to debate on the topic of Maleeh's no-confidence as well, and was the only MP to defend his position as well.
Detailing the actions of other JP MPs at Monday's vote, MP for the Kendhoo Constituency Ali Hussain had been present on the floor of parliament, but had declined from partaking in the vote on the no-confidence motion raised against Maleeh. MP for the Isdhoo constituency Ali Hameed cast his vote in favor of the no-confidence motion against Maleeh.
Jumhooree Party's leader and MP for the Maamigili constituency, Gasim Ibrahim, who has on leave for over a year from his official duties as member of parliament, pointedly did not attend Mondauy's sitting of the People's Majlis.
Maleeh is the first cabinet minister of the Solih administration to be removed from office with a motion of no-confidence passed against them from the floor of parliament.
MP for Galolhu-South constituency Mickail Naseem had previously submitted a motion of no-confidence against Minister of Communications, Science and Technology, Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal to the MDP parliamentary group with 10 signatures. Following this, MDP's parliamentary group deferred the decision to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih after expressing their opinion in favor of no-confidence against Minister Maleeh on 22 November last year.
Leader of the MDP parliamentary group and MP for the Henveiru-Central constituency Ali Azim had confirmed the initiation of a no-confidence motion against Minister Maleeh on 10 February.
The MDP parliamentary group had highlighted Maleeh's failure in preparing any of the regulations as entrusted to the Communications Authority of Maldives despite having been in office for two years. The MDP members of parliament went on to note that every day Maleeh spent in office without fulfilling his responsibilities as minister presented at great loss to the state and the people of Maldives, and that the minister had actively hindered progress in the communications sector while also being non-cooperative in performing his duties as minister.
While speaking in his own defense at parliament, Maleeh maintained that the allegations of him not performing his duty as minister were baseless. He also asserted that the regulations in question regarding the Communications Authority of Maldives had been prepared as required during his time in office.
Maleeh went on to claim that the motion of no-confidence against him had been initiated in a bid to weaken article 27 of the Maldivian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression to the citizens of Maldives. He added that the People's Majlis were being authoritative in heavy0handedly removing him from office in this manner.
