Minister Zaha receives two-weeks' notice from Majlis over no-confidence motion

Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture Zaha Waheed has been issued a two-weeks' notice prior to the initiation of debate on the no-confidence motion submitted against her to the People's Majlis.

The no-confidence motion against Minister Zaha was submitted to parliament with 10 signatures on 10 March 2021. Nine members of parliament representing the opposition Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and People’s National Congress (PNC) signed the motion, and were joined by MP for the Kaashidhoo constituency Abdulla Jabir.

In justifying the no-confidence motion against Minister Zaha, members of parliament noted that the Solih administration had failed to fulfill pledges made to fishermen and their families with Minister Zaha holding office, adding that services were not being provided to fishermen as needed. They also remarked issues with paying fishermen fair prices for their catch, and the inability of the government to ensure that they were compensated in dollars. Members highlighted that this failure was highly detrimental to the Maldivian economy, and that Minister Zaha had failed to increase the profits from fisheries and market Maldivian fish products at premium prices on the international market.

Despite this, the Quality Economic Bulletin released by the central bank Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), reports that 2020 was a record year for fish purchasing in the Maldives. A 52 percent increase was observed in quantity of fish that was purchased from fishermen and acquired by companies for processing in the Maldives in 2020. Also in 2020, MIFCO is recorded to have weighed more fish than in the last 14 years, which is a total of 49,000 metric tonnes of fish. Additionally, fishermen across the Maldives were issued MVR 879 million as the fair price of the fish sold last year.

The 19th People's Majlis has established a trend of initiating no-confidence motions against sitting members of the cabinet. Former Minister of Communications, Science and Technology Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal was the first member of cabinet to be forcibly removed from office with a no-confidence motion, though it can be noted that other cabinet ministers appointed by the Solih administration have resigned before no-confidence motions raised against them could progress to the debate and vote stages.

Maldives Reform Movement (MRM), the party Minister Zaha represents within the ruling-coalition, has released a statement in her defense following the no-confidence motion being submitted against her in parliament. MRM maintains that allegations of Minister Zaha not being able to fulfill her duties are completely baseless, and framed the narrative of MPs attempting to have her removed from office as politically motivated attacks to disrupt the ruling coalition. Former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom has also risen to Minister Zaha's defense, stating that MRM places their complete trust in Minister Zaha, going on to note her work as Fisheries Minister as a significant service to the fisheries sector, and the Maldives as a nation.

According to the People’s Majlis guidelines, a no-confidence motion against a minister may be submitted with a minimum of 10 signatories. The motion was submitted in accordance to Article 101 of the Maldives constitution, which states that “a motion expressing want of confidence in a member of the Cabinet may be moved in the People’s Majlis, under the hand of at least ten members, specifying the reasons.”

Half of all sitting members of parliament (43 members) must vote no-confidence against Minister Zaha for her to be removed from office.